Three cheers for Bike Week from Cope Foundation and Coláiste an Chraoibhín

A dazzling array of different adaptive bikes saw participants from Cope Foundation and St Joseph's get the chance to enjoy the warm summer breeze in their hair at a Bike Week event held in Coláiste an Chraoibhín this week.

From side-by-side tricycles to standard pushbikes to models operated by hand, bikes adapted to a wide variety of needs and abilities were on hand at the Fermoy secondary school's outdoor pitch as over 40 people, including service users and staff from Cope Foundation and St Joseph's, and Transition Year students and staff from the school, pedalled their hearts out in the sunshine to celebrate Bike Week.

The "Come and try a bike" event was a roaring success, organiser Susan Hanrahan said. Susan, who works in the sports department of Cope Foundation, said there was a special freedom that came with cycling that was enjoyed by people of all abilities.

"There's the nature, the social side of it, and just being out and about and moving as much as possible," she said. "This has been a big success. The community involvement has been fantastic. I hope this is just the introduction; we'll see where it goes from here."

Some Cope Foundation service users happily whizzed about on their own on Wednesday, while others were paired with TY students to act as assistants.

Coláiste an Chraoibhín Deputy Principal, Rory O'Connor said the event was just part of a 20-year association between Cope Foundation and the school and that it was a partnership that brought true rewards to both communities and formed an important part of the "holistic development" of the TY students.

TY teacher Frances Howard, who teaches a teamworking module which sees Coláiste an Chraoibhín's fourth years form a year-long partnership with Cope Foundation, said the event was a fantastic way for students to build on the sense of community established during their school year.

"It's a fantastic experience for them and they become much more aware," she said of her TY students. "At the end of the year, their experience with Cope Foundation is always one of the top of the list of favourite experiences of TY."

(Pic: EOB-d) THREE CHEERS FOR BIKE WEEK! Service users and staff from Cope Foundation and St Joseph’s at the ‘Come and try a bike’ event at Coláiste an Chraoibhín in Fermoy on Wednesday.

(Pic: EOB-d) Celebrating Bike Week were, l-r: TY student Ali O’Regan from Fermoy, Brian McDonnell from Mallow, TY student Tara Carey from Araglin and Janice Long from Mayfield.

(Pic: EOB-d) Mary Irwin from Mitchelstown (left) and Coláiste an Chraoibhín TY student Sam Twomey, trying out a sideby-side bike on Wednesday, as part of Bike Week 2023.

(Pic: EOB-d) Rory Burke enjoying the freedom of cycling on a specially adapted bicycle at the ‘Come and try a bike’ event in Fermoy.