Four-year-old cycling club raises five figures for hospice

Maybe a lot of that is to do with the success of Falkirk Junior Bike Club?

The team have had a successful year encouraging more and more youngsters onto two wheels and their recent fundraising drive saw them land more than £10,000 for Strathcarron Hospice.

Now they’re marking their fourth birthday by launching a new cycling passport scheme to encourage more outdoor activity in the saddle - especially during lockdown when regular exercise has been seen as key for communities.

Bellsdyke Road in Larbert has been noted as a frequently cycled route and year-on-year there has been a 124 per cent increase noted by the National Monitoring Framework, run by Cycling Scotland and funded by Transport Scotland, which monitor cycling rates. The rise falls between April 2019 and this year and, combined with other key routes across Scotland, concludes that cycling is on the increase during the lockdown period.

There is plenty of new pedal challenges and guides for members of the Falkirk club to tackle too – now that the new 16-page booklet has been released.

Containing 16 weeks of cycling activities aimed at young riders (aged 4+) club members have enjoyed the challenges and it’s now free to all interested cyclists. You don’t need to be a member of a cycling club, this resource is for anyone who would like to develop cycling skills and knowledge.

And there is plenty of that in FJBC which has been on the go since May 2016, launched by Fraser Johnston.

The group has steadily grown in number and events and last month raised £10,198.25 for Strathcarron Hospice in their 12-hour lockdown relay which saw cyclists cover a combined 750miles in the saddle,raising money for the Hospice in Fankerton.

To request a FJBC cycling passport visit - https://bit.ly/2ZsQ2xk