A wheel winner: Chandler Court gets residents back on their bikes

Home news

Aug 27, 2019

Chandler Court is set to help residents re-live the thrill of cycling again, after winning a specially-adapted bike.

Earlier this summer, Care UK’s Chandler Court, on Recreation Road, supported a nationwide fundraising drive through an initiative called Ride 800. This 800-mile cycle challenge saw a trio of colleagues from Care UK spend 15 days out on the road, cycling from Poole to Aberdeen – the locations of Care UK’s most southerly and northerly homes – to raise money for the Care Workers Charity, the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer Scotland.

Care UK’s Andrew Knight, chief executive of residential care, Jacqui White, marketing director, and Tony Weedon, strategic programme director, visited 26 homes as part of the 800-mile cycle challenge, and Chandler Court was the 11th stop on the ride. 

A supported cycle joined the group of fundraisers, stopping off for taster sessions so that residents could relive cycling memories. The specially adapted cycle allows two people to cycle side by side, with only one rider having to pedal.

Now that the cycle challenge has been completed, the fundraising trio have returned to Chandler Court, to award the home with its very own supported cycle, having been crowned the winner of the best decorated bike competition, which was run across the national network of care homes. The team at Chandler Court adorned their display bike with maps and images, charting the Care UK homes visited by the cycling trio across the breadth of the country. 

Home manager at Chandler Court, Joanne Gill said: “Residents and colleagues have always been enthusiastic supporters of good causes, so we were delighted to help Care UK raise a five-figure sum for these three important charities. We were really proud to play our part in the fundraising drive, raising £1,600, and are now over the moon that we have won the supported cycle competition too. This fantastic piece of equipment is going to bring such joy to residents, by making cycling accessible and creating a physically and mentally stimulating activity.

“We welcomed back our friends from Castle Nursery for the bike handover, because they had such an important role in our fundraising achievement. We’re looking forward to seeing the nursery children line up on their own bikes and trikes alongside residents when they take to the supported cycle over the coming weeks and months.”