Votes Received: 815
The Zhytomyr Regional town of Malina’s VeloTour Cycling Club has quite the accomplishment to boast about: they’ve opened a Bike Zone for Children where little ones can learn to ride in safety, have fun and get exercise.
PROJECT HISTORY
It was Olga Mikhalitska who originally came up with the plan for the bicycle zone. With help from the Malina Town council, the Active Citizens project and local residents who see riding a bike as part of a healthy lifestyle, the plan became a reality.
Locals intend to install additional riding ramps to enhance the space with a general idea to develop the entire area as a place for children to ride and get their exercise! The prospects are exciting!
Ms. Mikhalitska says: "The idea came up because of a “Bike Day” that we’d organized and from talking with other community organizations that already have bicycle zones in their towns where they’re used for athletic training. We had kids learning to ride on the street – a dangerous situation – and thought ‘we need a bike zone in Malina’”.
Discussions with locals about financing the project didn’t lead anywhere – the costs were just too high. So, we decided to approach things in stages and submitted our grant application to the British Council’s Active Citizens programme.
Overall, we want to install eight bike ramps. After that, the next important step will be to install a special rubberized surface to help prevent injuries.
THE PROJECT’S SECRETS OF SUCCESS
1. Make new connections
2. Have a clear understanding of what you want to do with your project.
3. Learn how to plan properly and how to prepare a grant application.