britishcycling.org.uk/go-ride Spring 2016
GO-RIDE MAGAZINE
DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CYCLISTS
MEMBERSHIP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE British Cycling membership is free for youth riders in Go-Ride Clubs in their first year and includes loads of useful benefits. From insurance through to discounts and exclusive opportunities, there are lots of reasons to get involved. The under-16 membership pack has been updated for 2016, with new and exciting content to help young people test their cycling knowledge and explore their own rider journey. For a supply of membership forms to use within your club, please contact go-ride@britishcycling.org.uk New members signing up for the first time can use the code NEWCMRA on the payment page at britishcycling.org.uk/membership to redeem their free membership.
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EDITORIAL
“... WE ARE IN A GREAT POSITION TO GROW OUR CLUB, COACH AND VOLUNTEER NETWORK” We’re two months into what is set to be a very important year for British Cycling, with major championships such as a home UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the Olympic Games poised to boost the nation’s interest and enthusiasm for the sport. It’s at times like these that I feel privileged to be so involved with the delivery of cycling at a grassroots level because not only do you see the change first-hand, but you are directly responsible for shaping the sport’s growth. This is a feeling I hope you all share and that, joining together across the six Go-Ride Conferences, will reflect upon to make this year one to remember. The conferences are something of a springboard in this sense, creating an opportunity to meet and share ideas that will affect thousands of young people and their families across the country.
With the Bicycle Association again supporting Go-Ride in 2016 and our strong partnership with Evans Cycles entering its second year, we are in a great position to grow our club, coach and volunteer network. There are new facilities planned while others have recently opened their doors, so our aim of delivering over two million opportunities by 2020 appear closer than ever before. You will know the difference that your help, support and enthusiasm has made within your club, but I would like to thank you for the difference you are making at a national level where Go-Ride is going from strength to strength. John Mills Coaching, Education and Development Director British Cycling
If you have any views, comments or ideas for the Go-Ride magazine, we want to hear from you! Send your ideas to: go-ride@britishcycling.org.uk and you might see them in a future issue.
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GO-RIDE
NEWS Sir Chris brightens day for Tameside school pupils On a wet and windy day at Tameside Closed Road Circuit, a surprise visit from Britain’s most successful Olympian, Sir Chris Hoy, helped to brighten the day for pupils from Dane Bank Primary School. Evans Cycles has provided British Cycling’s Go-Ride Coaches with a brand new fleet of HOY bikes to use when delivering Go-Ride coaching sessions in schools and Sir Chris was on hand to present Go-Ride Coach Simon Wilson with his new set of bikes. These will help to ensure that children have access to good quality equipment and remove barriers that currently stop them from taking part. During the session, Sir Chris gathered feedback from the youngsters: “It was great to see so many children enjoying the bikes. I’m always looking for ways to make the range even better and want to incorporate as much feedback as possible into the next models we develop.”
National Youth Forum update Having just completed its third year, the National Youth Forum is making huge gains in progressing youth action in cycling. Most recently the group has been working with British Cycling’s Coach Education department to increase opportunities for young people to get involved with the sport, also pairing up with sponsors such as Evans Cycles to raise the profile of volunteering. The representatives have also presented and taken questions at the latest Equality Leads Meeting, highlighting the benefits and methods of youth action in cycling. Get up-to-date with the Young Volunteers’ Blog: bcyoungvolunteers.wordpress.com The group are just about to recruit for their fourth year, with plans, projects and
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areas for development coming together for 2016-17. To get involved yourself or put forward a young volunteer who is interested, please email youngvolunteers@ britishcycling.org.uk. Recruitment will take place from mid-March to the end of April.
Girls-only race night in Peterborough In a bid to encourage more girls to race, Fenland Clarion hosted a girls-only Go-Ride Racing night with the dedicated event suitable for all abilities of riders up to 16 years of age. And while no boys were allowed to compete, many got involved and helped out in the running of the event. The excellent floodlit facilities at Peterborough Athletic Track provided the perfect setting and riders tested their skills in four challenging races.
The result was an evening of amazing enthusiasm and fun which for many was their first experience of competition – but if they were nervous it didn’t show. The event succeeded in attracting the interest of riders not only from the Peterborough area, but many travelled some distance to give it a try with racers attending from eight Go-Ride Clubs across the region. It is hoped that after such a positive experience many of these fine young riders will be keen to try similar events.
Young Lancaster cyclists triumph in Belgium Towards the end of the 2015 road race season, four young cyclists from Lancaster-based cycling club Salt Ayre
Cog Set travelled across to Belgium for a spot of continental racing, picking up some great results against strong competition. George, Elliot, Ben and Alex are all under 16 riders who made the trip over to Europe to get a flavour of international racing, supported by Paul Andrews, Janet Reed and Alex Reed. The weekend featured 60km and 40km road races, with George riding brilliantly over the longer distance on the Saturday to take an impressive fourth place with Elliot finishing ninth. On the Sunday, George showed his time trialling strength to take a magnificent victory following a solo effort, with the rest of the team working to control the race going on behind. The team are already planning their next trip and will no doubt be even more successful in years to come. Congratulations on some very impressive riding and best of luck for the future!
Success for Go-Ride graduates in 2015 2015 was an exciting year for bike racing on both the national and international stage, with Go-Ride a proven source for developing young cyclists on their own Rider Route. The National Youth and Junior Track Championships in August are a great example, with over 90% of competitors having started their journey at a Go-Ride Club. This also translates onto the elite stage, where Go-Ride graduates made up 88% of the Great Britain Cycling Team at the UCI Track World Cup in Cali.
Grant Ferguson races at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
On the road, the Aviva Tour of Britain and Aviva Women’s Tour saw Go-Ride graduates including Ian Stannard, Ed Clancy, Alex Dowsett, Lizzie Armistead and Hannah Barnes competing as part of race teams. The success stories continue across the cycling disciplines, with mountain bike rider Grant Ferguson and BMX riders Tre Whyte and Kyle Evans all having started cycling at Go-Ride Clubs. In addition to the above, there are many more successes that can be attributed to Go-Ride graduates over the last year. At each stage of the Rider Route, the team has given standout performances that are helping them to develop towards their aims.
Fundraising workshops We would like to say a massive thank you to all of the volunteers who attended the newly developed fundraising workshops we ran late last year. The three-hour workshops focused on Sport England’s Small Grant award. We look forward to hearing about your successful bids and fundraising projects in 2016.
Photo competition winner Congratulations to Border City Wheelers who are based in Carlisle, for winning our photo competition. They submitted this great photo of their club enjoying what looks like a giant (indoor) picnic. Looks like the marshmallows were popular! The club wins a Go-Ride goody bag, full of equipment to use within their sessions.
Get in touch if you have any news you’d like to share with us: go-ride@britishcycling.org.uk
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REVIEW
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MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Thank you for helping us to deliver over 500,000 opportunities for young people to get involved in cycling. Here’s to 2016! JANUARY A new year sees even more new young volunteers trained, with the first Cycling Award for Young Volunteers workshop of 2015 taking place at Cyclopark in Kent.
FEBRUARY Go-Ride Clubs descend on the brand new Derby Velodrome as the first to ride the Midlands’ track cluster sessions.
MARCH Over 500 attendees join the Go-Ride team at six Go-Ride Conferences around the country.
APRIL Britain’s most successful Olympian, Sir Chris Hoy, announces a new partnership between Go-Ride and Evans Cycles.
MAY Aylesbury becomes the latest Disability Hub, improving access to the sport for people with a disability and helping to develop their cycling technique, fitness and confidence. See page 11 for the latest.
JUNE In celebration of the Aviva Women’s Tour Go-Ride Coaches host girls-only sessions in schools along the route, with riders taking part in entry-level races at the start and finish lines of some of the stages.
JULY Go-Ride goes international with UK Sport’s International Development through Excellence and Leadership (IDEALS) programme, providing an opportunity for a Go-Ride Coach to contribute to cycling infrastructure in Namibia and Mozambique.
AUGUST The National Youth and Junior Track Championships take place in Manchester with a staggering 93% of the riders having started their journey at Go-Ride Clubs.
SEPTEMBER The first of the Go-Ride Fundraising Workshops is held, with volunteers from over 50 Go-Ride Clubs going on to attend.
OCTOBER The Go-Ride Holiday programme continues in October half term, with some fantastic Halloween themed events. The holiday programmes provided almost 5,600 opportunities throughout 2015.
NOVEMBER The 500th Go-Ride Race is registered, with over 350 girls-only races helping to increase the number of girls getting involved in cycling. See page eight for feedback from one of these races.
DECEMBER This month is all about awards, with British Cycling tutor, Richard Shepherd, Young Volunteer, Andrew Pink, and British Cycling all winning their categories at the Sports Coach UK Awards. See page nine for a report from the evening.
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Thanks for helping us to deliver all of this in 2015
515,000 80% Over
opportunities for young people to get involved with cycle sport through the Go-Ride Programme
of riders on the Great Britain Cycling Team started out in Go-Ride Clubs
606 13,905 Go-Ride Racing events
There are over
300 Go-Ride Clubs Supported by more than
6,000
Volunteers
Opportunities for young riders to don their first racing bibs
7
new facilities supported
6
Disability Hubs across England
29% [4,010]
Opportunities for young women and girls
ÂŁ484,201 funding secured by Go-Ride clubs
Over
1,000
young volunteers have gone through the Cycling Award for Young Volunteer programme
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FEATURE
THESE GIRLS CAN
A girls-only session at the #WeRide event in Hyde Park, London
GO-RIDE RACING WAS HUGELY SUCCESSFUL IN 2015 AND OUR FOCUS WAS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF GIRLS-ONLY RACES Clubs and volunteers were fantastically supportive, creating a positive environment that will undoubtedly encourage even more girls to don their first race bib in 2016. To help enable this growth we will continue to offer additional resources and support to clubs hosting events that include dedicated girls’ races.
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eterborough-based club Fenland Clarion hosted their first dedicated girls’ race in November, with event organiser Malc Jacklin reporting that “after much deliberation over whether or not to hold an evening of girls-only racing, my concerns were unfounded as we had an excellent time. It was such a positive experience that many of these fine young riders are keen to try other similar events. Standout events included start and finish line activity at the Aviva Women’s
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Tour of Britain, but these opportunities for girls to give racing a try are happening across the country every week. The key here is regularity, providing accessible options for those new to racing to gain new experiences, grow in confidence and develop a strong relationship with the sport. We are sure clubs will smash last year’s event total to provide more young riders with their first taste of competitive cycling – and we will support you every step of the way. For tips and advice around starting your own girls-only Go-Ride Races, visit: po.st/GoRideRaceGirls
British Cycling’s #WeRide strategy aims to get one million more women and girls cycling regularly by 2020.
Girls test their race skills at the Hoy 100
IN 2015 WE DELIVERED:
4,010
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR GIRLS TO RACE
70
% OF RACE EVENTS
INCLUDED GIRLS ONLY RACE
FEATURE
SUCCESS AT THE UK COACHING AWARDS YOUNG VOLUNTEER, ANDREW PINK, LEADS THE CHARGE IN WHAT WAS A FANTASTIC EVENING FOR BRITISH CYCLING There was a lot of movement from the British Cycling table at the 2015 UK Coaching Awards, with three category wins meaning three trips to the stage. British Cycling picked up the award for Governing Body of the Year, while Andrew Pink got the top spot for Heather Crouch Young Coach of the Year and Richard Shepherd took the title of Coach Developer of the Year.
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aining these accolades is worthy recognition of the hard work put in by all of the individuals involved, while also highlighting the strength of British Cycling’s coach development pathways. From the leadership and innovation shown by the coaching and education team through to the expertise of the coach developers, the picture is completed by an enthusiastic young volunteer and coach whose aim is for people to participate without limits. In the Heather Crouch Young Coach of the Year Category, British Cycling volunteer Andrew Pink was nominated alongside counterparts from tennis and cricket for his unwavering commitment to coaching, particularly when it comes to supporting people with disabilities. He is currently club head coach at Wyndymilla Go-Ride Club and has devoted a
considerable amount of time during the year to providing accessible cycling opportunities to people with varied needs. Speaking of the award, Andrew said: “It was an honour to be part of an event which celebrates the work of so many inspirational people. Winning the award for me personally is so humbling because the competition was obviously so high; I’m overjoyed and trying to let what happened sink in. I now need to look ahead and see where I can go and what I can do to develop as a coach and person from this point.” Just before Christmas Andrew attended the National Talent Camp as a Young Mentor, passing on his experience and mentoring to help younger team members reach their potential. In 2016 he has plans to gain additional coaching qualifications, continue to progress as a rider and support Wyndymilla as a coach with new team projects. British Cycling’s Director of Coaching, Education and Development, John Mills, said of the night: “We’re absolutely delighted to see the hard work of our
team recognised at this year’s UK Coaching Awards. “As the governing body for the sport of cycling we understand that in order to produce world class cyclists across all disciplines, you need to have world class coaches. With this in mind, we’re constantly looking at the feedback we receive from participants on our coaching courses and making improvements to ensure they get the best experience to help them on their coaching journey. “Richard and Andrew are fine examples of the calibre of staff and coaches we have and I would like to commend them both on their wins. Each has gone above and beyond in their delivery and we are incredibly privileged to be able to name them as members of the British Cycling coaching and education team.”
Check out a video of Andrew being interviewed at the awards: po.st/AndrewPink
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FEATURE
PROVIDING A HOME FOR CYCLING
What plans did the club put in place prior to the velodrome opening? “We found out that we would have A network of traffic-free facilities regular access to the velodrome in is key to our ambitions of January and worked alongside both the increasing participation. Arena and other Derby-based Go-Ride Clubs to establish frequency of usage. rom local playing fields through to We identified coaches who wanted to new and dedicated facilities like do their Level 2 track discipline coaching Derby Arena, the 1.5km closed road qualification and supported them through cycle circuit at Harvey Hadden Sports this so that we were able to cater for Village in Nottingham, Hadleigh Farm the fantastic level of interest from within mountain bike trails and Middlesborough’s our club. Our coaches and volunteers outdoor velodrome, the Go-Ride were actively involved in the Manchester programme would not exist without a cluster deliveries prior to Derby Arena safe place for young people to meet opening which helped us to develop our and ride their bikes. delivery models for Go-Ride members The past 12 months have seen a and seniors, as well as the city cluster number of new facilities open their doors and the wider club clusters of training and there have been some fantastic set up by Regional new developments already making a “We have a membership Development Manager, Anthony Gill. significant difference of over 450 and are “We also recognised to participation. keen to see our riders the need for the club to Perhaps the most progress...” achieve Clubmark, to help impressive is Derby demonstrate what the club was doing Arena, which officially opened its and attract recognition within the new doors in March and has already seen facility. We agreed as a club that it was some fantastic action during the year. a good investment and an incentive to Activities have included women-only get everything sorted, and working with and Go-Ride Club Cluster sessions, British Cycling’s development team – whilst also providing local clubs with the who provided useful tips on how to opportunity to provide discipline-specific complete some of the criteria – we coaching sessions. Christine Kelly from achieved this.” Derby Mercury tells us more.
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What impact has the facility had on club membership? “We are starting to see some youth members joining just to get access to the track so the numbers are beginning to rise, although some have joined and worked out it’s not for them – that’s just part and parcel of sport. As a club that supports all disciplines – and in line with British Cycling’s stance on providing a varied offer – we are keen that youth riders join the club where track is just one of the many disciplines they can have a go at. This way, they get to experience the different sides of cycling.” What future plans do Derby Mercury have? “We have a membership of over 450 (one quarter of them are youth riders) and are keen to see our riders progress and learn to become independent athletes. We cater for riders and racers and have a programme through the winter as we wait to resume training outside. This includes the development of static training, first aid awareness as well as integration with all the generations of riders the club has. From Christmas rides and socials to representation at local cyclo-cross and youth track leagues, the calendar over the next few months is varied.”
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A HUB OF ACTIVITY IMPROVING ACCESS TO CYCLING FOR PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY
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ritish Cycling’s Young Leaders programme helps existing Gold Volunteers to further their skills and take their volunteering to the next level by leading on activities to achieve their Platinum Award. In this edition, we feature a blog from David.
Young Biographers Project for Club’s 70th Anniversary by David Redmond, Thanet Road Club
British Cycling’s Disability Cycling Hubs were developed to ensure that riders and individuals wanting to improve their cycling performance receive the support they need. ew for 2016 is a Hub in the East Midlands based at the closed road circuit forming part of the £13.5 million Harvey Haddon Sports Complex in Nottingham. The East Midlands Hub joins the Hubs at Manchester, York, Aylesbury, Cyclopark and Bath to help riders develop cycling fitness, confidence and technique. The launch event in January saw riders working with a coach to utilise the entire 1.5km of circuit and four loops available to carry out a range of exercises. Present at this first session were handcyclists representing Handcycling UK who are preparing for a Team Time Trial in June, riders with a visual impairment who met new tandem pilots ahead of the racing season and other cyclists who were there to develop fitness after a period of inactivity. On hand to support the first of these monthly sessions was Rob Mace, Development Manager of Coaching and Competition at British Cycling, who commented: “The facility is fantastic because it is long and wide, allowing the coaches to make sure everyone has the space to achieve something and get a good workout over the two hours. It was brilliant to see so many people riding, with time available to take on feedback and practice new skills with each activity. “Riders may all have different aims but what they get here at the East
PLATINUM BLOG
Midlands Disability Hub is dedicated support of a qualified coach, space to ride in a traffic-free environment and the company of other riders with whom they can get fit or team up to train for their next big goal.” Lydia Hayden is a VI Rider and attended the session to ride with her pilot for the first time. She previously had to travel up to Manchester on a regular basis to train at the National Cycling Centre but now, along with her twin sister, has regular opportunities to ride road and track at the East Midlands Hub: “I really enjoyed working on our technique and skills in the session and seeing how that improved. It was good to race against each other and use what we practised to go quicker!” The East Midlands Disability Hub is for everyone to come along and enjoy cycling. With qualified coaches at every session, the activities will expand opportunities for people in the East Midlands to ride and are affordable at £3 a session. There is equipment available for riders to borrow, including helmets, a handcycle, tandem and road bikes for riders who need to borrow equipment.
For more information about the East Midlands Disability Hub, please visit: po.st/EMidlandsHub
Within my club something big is being prepared … in 2017 it is our 70th anniversary from the club first forming back in 1947. Our club managed to get Heritage funding for this massive project and a part of it was to fund something called the Young Biographers Project. This project is designed to get young and veteran riders in the club together to create pieces of work about the veterans to show at an exhibition. It is designed to create a unique experience of bringing together some of the oldest club members with the youngest ones to celebrate 70 years of the club in existence. So far I have attended two workshops with the first one being only the young riders and myself to understand what the aim of the project is and what we wanted the outcomes of the project to be. The second one was two weeks later where we gathered again with our chosen veteran riders to gather as much information as possible to help us begin to create our pieces which range from someone doing an art piece, to story lines and I’m doing a PowerPoint presentation, too! I have learnt many things already about the club that I did not know before such as how the club used to run and the kit the riders wore. At the next workshop we will see each others pieces taking shape which will be very exciting. These workshops provide me with the opportunity to take on a club management role and I used skills such as group communication and being able to bring together large pieces of information in a short space of time. Next time I would go to the workshops with more of an open mind to allow myself to understand other people in an easier way. Hope you found this interesting reading! To view all the latest blog posts from Young Leaders, please visit bcyoungvolunteers.wordpress.com GO-RIDE MAGAZINE / 11
FEATURE
NATIONAL TALENT CAMP 2015 JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THIRTY YOUNG RIDERS AND ENTHUSIASTIC VOLUNTEERS JOINED UP WITH OVER 350 OF THE COUNTRY’S MOST TALENTED SPORTS PEOPLE FOR THE NATIONAL TALENT CAMP The camp took place from 18-21 December at Loughborough University, providing a unique opportunity for young officials, coaches and athletes of the future to meet in a multi-sport, multidisciplinary environment. The annual residential event helps participants to reflect upon what type of official or coach they want to be and how to develop their skills.
“ It was the best weekend of my life and I am certain that my confidence has grown a lot” Ellen, Camp attendee
“ This was my third time at the camp, once as a Young Official, then as a Young Coach and this year as a Young Mentor was by far the best experience, sharing my knowledge with aspiring young coaches, whilst growing as a coach and a person myself, it was amazing” Andrew, Young Mentor
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So what is the National Talent Camp all about? Throughout the weekend, the young volunteers attended sport-specific workshops to set the context for their sport, also joining up for multi-sport sessions to help broaden experience. Topics included performance philosophy, taking ownership of behaviours, managing emotions and understanding the value and importance of operating to high standards. Who was at the camp? Youngsters got to work with professional athletes, coaches and officials from a range of sports, whilst learning how to progress in their chosen roles. Within cycling, volunteers and riders worked closely with the British Cycling Go-Ride team, providing them with opportunities to get further involved at their clubs. Three Cycling Award for Young Volunteers (CAYV) graduates attended the camp as Young Mentors, providing guidance, encouraging discussion and sharing experience around wider aspects of their clubs’ development. What happens next? Over the year camp attendees will work closely with their chosen mentor to progress within their roles. Taking learning from the camp back to their clubs, they
will also be offered local, regional and national opportunities with support from the Go-Ride team. How is the camp funded and how do young people get involved? The camp is a fully funded, four-day residential opportunity open to all Young volunteers on the CAYV. It’s ideal for young people in clubs wanting to develop confidence, who have aspirations to develop as young coaches and officials in cycling. Why get involved? The National Talent Camp is a fantastic chance to meet up with over 350 young coaches, athletes and officials from other sports, to learn from one another, build confidence and bring back all of this experience to help to develop your Go-Ride Club. On top of this you will have the chance to meet some of our sporting greats, mingle with Olympians past and present and access the latest volunteer opportunities at British Cycling.
Applications are open from the end of August to October. To register your interest, or a young persons’ interest at your club, please email youngvolunteers@britishcycling.org.uk
YOUNG VOLUNTEERS
MAKE 2016 A BIG ONE BY TAKING YOUR VOLUNTEERING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
What our Young Volunteers say:
‘It was a fantastic opportunity to learn about what is involved with a national multi-sport event’ Rosa, North Devon Wheelers ‘It was good to see things from the other side after being involved as a rider for a number of years’ Rebecca, Welwyn Wheelers
If you’re on the CAYV, get involved in these two huge opportunities and make an impact this year.
BECOME A NATIONAL YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE
SUPPORT A CYCLING TEAM AT THE 2016 SAINSBURY’S SCHOOL GAMES
What would I do? Join a group of like-minded youth volunteers who are passionate about the sport
The Sainsbury’s School Games is part of the inter-regional programme of racing and will be based at a closed-road circuit at Loughborough University this year. Regional teams come together to compete for victory across a multitude of sports.
Represent the views of young people in cycling Get development opportunities alongside sport specialists What commitment is involved? Project work to influence, engage and excite The Forum meets four times a year across England Attend your local Go-Ride Conference in Spring Find out more today: britishcycling.org.uk/youngvolunteers
How would you support the team? Become a Team Attaché or Assistant Team Manager for a regional team Work with teams to support them throughout competition Act as a liaison for riders, helping them to plan and prepare Promote the team, using social media Visit the School Games website: yourschoolgames.com
Email us to register your interest at: youngvolunteers@britishcycling.org.uk
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FEATURE
MAKE THE HEADLINES A SIMPLE GUIDE TO ENGAGING YOUR LOCAL PRESS IN CLUB ACTIVITIES Local newspapers are great places to publicise your club and its activities, but sports editors are busy people working to tight deadlines. If you want to get your articles featured you need to make the editor’s life as easy as possible and use a format that he or she will understand. This guide will help you to understand what a press release is and how to use it. TOP TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PRESS RELEASE 1. Organise your facts: Who, what, when, where, why and how? Ensure that the press release answers these questions, often referred to as five Ws of the event (plus 'how')! 2. Identify your story's angle: A good story must adhere to the following three rules, with the headline and first paragraph getting across all of the essential details. a. It must be newsworthy b. It must be timely c. It must offer exclusive and interesting content to the reader 3. Create a catchy headline: Keep it short, simple and to the point. It should convey the main topic of the press release and be light-hearted, catching the imagination and attention of the reader. 4. Use the third-person voice: A press release must be impartial, objective and written from the third person point of view. Refer to individuals and the club using their name, rather than ‘we, our’ etc. (unless in quotes). Draw your conclusions from facts, not opinion.
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5. Provide quotes wherever possible: Direct quotes will add authority, personality and realism to your press release and will be favoured by news editors. 6. Provide additional background information: End the press release with an appendix that provides brief background information on the club, as well as who to contact for further information. 7. Include high quality images: Aim to send a couple of interesting images. These should be over 1MB in size with a clear file name. 8. Remember to date your release and distribute it promptly. News is only newsworthy during a very small window after the event, so it’s best to plan in advance and try to send the release to journalists the day after. The above writing tips are not meant to be an exhaustive guide to writing a good press release, but should help you get started. Remember that practice makes perfect and the best way to learn how to write an effective press release is to observe how cycling news is reported in the cycling press. CONSTRUCTING A PRESS RELEASE Separate the sections clearly to make sure that the recipient can access the information that they need effectively. We recommend using a structure similar to the right, remaining consistent throughout.
Title in Bold Text Insert full date eg Monday 1 January 2016 Paragraph one should act as a summary of the entire press release. In partnership with the title, readers should be able to understand the main focus of the piece. Write the remainder of the press release in easily digestible paragraphs and be sure to include at least one quote. Ends Let the journalist know where the release finishes. Notes for editors Extra information about the topic, club, etc. eg a summary of the club’s activities, how long it has been established. This can usually be amended from the ‘About’ section of your website. Contact Name, title, address, phone number, fax, e-mail and website address if the journalist needs more information or more quotes. Sender Include full contact details so if there are any enquiries the journalist has a contact to get back to.
FEATURE
A CLUB FOR ALL
THANET RC SHARES ITS CLUB DEVELOPMENT TIPS
1. Good communication It is important that a club keeps its members and guests informed. Different people want to be notified in different ways, so make sure your club updates its website, sends regular emails and maintains a busy Facebook page and Twitter feed.
Thanet RC registered on the Go-Ride programme in 2009, using their club development plan to set out exactly what they wanted to achieve – and perhaps more importantly, how they were going to achieve it. Six years later, the club has exceeded its expectations, delivering an astounding range of opportunities for members to get involved.
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y identifying improvements in every aspect of the club, changes included being able to secure the use of a facility, constantly grow and develop their volunteer workforce and listen to members’ differing ambitions from learning how to ride safely, to becoming the next Olympic Champion. Go-Ride Contact and Club Coach, Colin Robinson, has these top tips for any clubs hoping to follow in their footsteps:
2. Amazing volunteers Probably the most important part of our successful development is our team of helpers. These come from all parts of the club, from young volunteers working through the Cycling Award for Young Volunteers (CAYV), to adult members offering to help run our many events. 3. Dedicated funding Thanet RC has a dedicated funding officer, who helps the club to fundraise towards a variety of causes including sponsoring events, supporting the youth development team and covering volunteers’ coaching and development costs. We have great partnerships with local companies who are happy to supply funding in return for photographs for their websites. 4. Competition through Go-Ride Racing Thanet RC started running Go-Ride Racing events in 2010, with these increasing in number year on year introducing different cycling disciplines and girls-only events. This experience
led to us putting on regional events, including the South East Youth Road Championships in 2015. We always make it fun and have prizes for everyone. 5. Gain accreditation Thanet RC was awarded Clubmark status in 2011 for demonstrating awareness of child protection and safety, quality coaching, equal opportunities and good management. Clubmark is the national standard for quality sports clubs, with many governing bodies adopting the scheme. Clubs that apply receive help and support from British Cycling to achieve and maintain higher standards. 6. A club for all Thanet RC has a history going back nearly 70 years and now has over 200 members aged between four and 86. The club is one big happy family and everyone helps and encourages each other. We have lots of social events off the bike and have loads of fun together. 7. Training and development You can never have enough coaches! We have such a variety of ages and abilities, that having a large number of coaches is essential. The club – along with sponsors – continuously fund coaching courses. This has led to the club having nine Level 2 Coaches as well as three Level 1 Coaches under the ages of 18.
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FEATURE
BLUE PETER’S MINI OMNIUM PRESENTERS BARNEY AND RADZI JOIN GO-RIDE FOR A TRACK CYCLING CHALLENGE
November 2015 marked the beginning of the Blue Peter Track Cycling Challenge, when presenters, Barney and Radzi, headed to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester to discover exactly what was in store for them. British Cycling coach, Charlie Evans, was waiting to introduce them to their mini omnium challenge consisting of a flying lap, match sprint and head-to-head kilo.
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T
he presenters took on the challenge in aid of Sport Relief, training over the winter to race against each other at the final round of the Revolution series of track cycling in Manchester on Saturday 23 January. With Barney having completed the Big Bike Challenge with British Cycling back in 2013 he had some track experience, whereas Radzi was completely new to track with a history in explosive sports such as karate and skeleton bobsleigh. As the first training sessions unravelled, it was clear that these different backgrounds would make for interesting racing!
Getting to grips The presenters worked closely with coach, Charlie, throughout the challenge, developing their bike handling skills and understanding of the three races ahead of the competition. With sessions at Derby Arena and the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, Barney and Radzi were put through their paces and taught to ride rollers to develop cycling fitness in their own time. Barney and Radzi Go-Ride Back after their Christmas break, the presenters joined two experienced Go-Ride members who train and race at Derby Arena. Travelling up to the National Cycling Centre for a Monday morning session, Josh and Tilly (of Derby Mercury RC and Spalding CC, respectively) helped Barney and Radzi get used to riding in proximity and explore the tactics and skills the mini omnium would draw upon. Pushing themselves even further, the presenters joined a Go-Ride track cluster session at the National Cycling Centre where 40 young riders from local Go-Ride Clubs were coached for three hours on a Sunday afternoon. Riding with
the intermediate group, Barney and Radzi were able to hone their precision riding – as well as getting a taste for the speeds they would be getting up to on the night. Learning from the best Arriving kitted up for their final session before Revolution, Barney and Radzi were met by none other than Olympic champion and track cycling legend, Sir Chris Hoy. With such an expert on hand to offer advice, Charlie decided that it would be a great opportunity for the boys to practice their gate starts. The presenters had also been training on HOY Fiorenzuola track bikes kindly loaned from Go-Ride partner, Evans Cycles, which Sir Chris designed to meet his exact specifications. After two hours of surprisingly successful starts (for first timers) and a few runs through the races, Barney, Radzi and Sir Chris spent time talking through what was to come – as well as taking a few selfies. Race night On Saturday 23 January at 12pm, the doors opened for the afternoon session of Revolution and everything
got a bit real. Dressed in bespoke Blue Peter meets Go-Ride skinsuits from adidas and Lazer helmets, the riders definitely looked the part as they greeted the crowd. Tilly and Josh joined the riders on the night for some last minute tips on preparation, while Charlie ensured that the riders ate, rested and warmed up in good time to race the three events. The afternoon session featured the flying lap and match sprint, with the head-tohead kilo taking place in the evening. This meant that the riders had a similar experience to the other elite riders such as Laura Trott, Andy Tennant and Owain Doull, with supporters’ banners and cheering giving them a similar level of celebrity.
Watch the challenge While the episodes will be available on BBC’s iPlayer for a short time, we will publish our own report of the challenge – so keep an eye on the British Cycling website.
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COACHING
TOP TIPS
BIKE JENGA
Encouraging young riders to challenge themselves outside of their comfort zone can sometimes prove difficult, but Go-Ride Coaches have found a great way of improving bike handling through a game of Bike Jenga. Like traditional Jenga the activity involves a tower of wooden blocks, with the only difference being that the game takes place on a bike.
A
number of coaches have used bike jenga within their sessions, including Stephen Saunders from i-Team CC in Portsmouth and Nick High from Cambridge Junior CC. Stephen first thought up the idea as a means of developing slow riding and balance skills whilst having a bit of fun. Nick on the other hand included it in his coaching sessions after watching videos on social media. A trip to his local DIY store and three hours of sawing and sanding later, Nick had 60 jenga blocks ready to use: “I stumbled across a club doing something very similar and thought, ‘Bike Jenga! The kids would love that!’”
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Building skills Bike Jenga is great for developing core cycling skills that riders will draw upon regularly. Manipulating the several points of contact the bike has with the ground, the game helps to develop riders’ understanding of and ability to use their cone of movement. Similarly, riders develop their bike handling skills by having to ride one-handed after picking up one of the blocks. The activity encourages riders to ride slowly and work on their stationary balance. Different tactics When beginning to deliver the activity, we’d recommend allowing riders to put their foot down a pre-agreed number of times before they are eliminated. As players become more confident, reduce the number of times they are allowed to do this. Next, ask riders to collect a block from the top of the stack, ride around a short course (still with the block in hand) and place it on top of a second stack without knocking it over. For those riders who can balance well when stationary, the activity can be delivered in a similar way to traditional Jenga in that riders have to remove a block from low down in the
stack and place it at the top of the same stack without knocking it over. A final way to adapt the activity is by building towers that are more unstable so riders need good balance and a steady hand to take a block and place it down. Thinking of giving it a go? Share any photos and videos of your club trying Bike Jenga on our Facebook page: facebook.com/goride
Key coaching points Ride slowly Do not look down at the bike or the floor Keep one hand covering the brake to control speed Ensure correct gear is selected, again to control speed Decide which block to choose before arriving at the tower Get close to the tower Keep body stable and strong but allow the bike to move around to maintain balance Use peripheral vision to help locate and pick up the lower blocks
ROLL OF HONOUR SEPTEMBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
New Go-Ride Clubmark Clubs
Cycling Award for Young Volunteers
Albarosa CC Bronte Tykes Derby Mercury RC Kent Velo Kids Mansfield Triathlon Club Newark Castle Cycling Club Nuneaton BMX Club
Bronze Alyx Foreman Gabriella Homer Joe Law Matthew Brogan Michael King Mitch Powell
Royston Rockets BMX Wolverhampton CC Doncaster Wheelers CC Bigfoot Go-Ride Hetton Hawks CC Chelmer CC
Renewed Go-Ride Clubmark Clubs
Silver Alice Warbrick George Evans James Corfield Oliver Bell
Derby Mercury CC Kettering CC Gosforth RC Leicester Forest Cycling Club
Astley & Tyldesley Cycling Club Hinckley CRC Icknield Road Club Ispwich CSC Lincsquad Preston Pirates BMX Redditch Road & Path Salt Ayre Cogset Witney MTB
Gold Adam Smith Alex Piper Amber Dyra Christopher Wearn David Redmond Jessica Feeney-Davies Joseph Chapman Laurence Delf-Rowlandson Logan de Monchaux-Irons Myles Reiss-Bidmead Natasha Reddy Thomas Barrowcliffe Tom Bell Jennie Roberts Jonathan Allman Platinum Joe Fox Megan Kendall
Ditcham Park School Carrick Riders Cambridge Junior CC Bolsover & District CC Thanet RC Cycling Club Hackney Ditcham Park School Chester Go-Ride Cycling Club Hackney Ditcham Park School Oxonian CC Summit MTB Carrick Riders East Bradford CC
Taunton BMX Spalding CC
GO-RIDE CONTACTS John Mills
Coaching, Education and Development Director
Melanie Knowles
PA to Coaching, Education and Development Director melanieknowles@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2072
Colin Humphreys
National Development Manager colinhumphreys@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2077
Rob Mace
Development Manager: Coaching and Competition robmace@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2078
Stephanie Allmark
Development Manager: Clubs and Volunteers stephanieallmark@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2069
Jenny Nicholson
Kelly Burdett
Daniel Bacon
Julia Klinger-Moore
Development Officer: Coaching and Competition jennynicholson@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2019
Development Officer: Coaching and Competition danielbacon@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2071
Development Officer: Clubs and Volunteers kellyburdett@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2126
Go-Ride inbox
go-ride@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2070
Sarah Lewis
Senior Marketing & Communications Officer sarahlewis@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2013
Development Officer: Clubs and Volunteers juliaklinger-moore@britishcycling.org.uk 0161 274 2069
GO-RIDE MAGAZINE / 19
The amazing performances of the Great Britain Cycling Team rely on the support of British Cycling members. If your club members wish to join British Cycling, membership for their first year is free or discounted, so there is no excuse for missing out on joining the team.
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Under 16s receive a bonus joining pack, which includes some awesome surprises featuring some of the biggest cycling stars from the worlds of track, MTB, BMX and road in action! In addition, membership includes a race licence (if requested) and all the benefits enjoyed by adults such as insurance, discounts and top tips from the experts at British Cycling.
So whether you race, ride or just want to become a part of the team that supports Great Britain’s line-up of elite stars, join British Cycling and get closer to the action!