Initiatives and achievements July 2024 – June 2025
- We offered 91 ride events between 1 July 2024 and 20 June 2025 with 46 successfully conducted; 13 booked rides cancelled due to illness amongst either pilots (1), intended passengers (1), or care provider staff (1); logistics (3), and weather events (7), and 32 rides not booked by any provider. Three special events were conducted as described in points 3-5 below.
- Count shows a total 388 passengers carried, of those 357 (92%) in care support and the remaining 57 being their carer or other support persons. Approximately 1/2 of rides were with people with a disability under NDIS support. In total, 14 pilots covered 1370 kilometres in the two BIKEast trishaws in the 12-month period.
- On 20 September 2024 a special event was hosted for Holdsworth and the Woollahra Dementia Association, with 6 in care support and 2 carers enjoying a ride between Redleaf Gallery and Lyne Park.
- Our Chapter, with other NSW CWA Chapters attended the Darling Harbour Seniors Festival 12-13 March 2025. The exhibition booth was organised by John Kelman from the Sydney North Chapter and while no care home nor volunteer pilots were recruited, it was a great opportunity to raise awareness of CWA activities.
- A Morning tea was held on 31 May 2025 with 12 current and potential future volunteers, where the
management of the Chapter was discussed and processes refined. Sincere thanks were extended to Adrian Boss for his leadership of CWA activities across Australia and in particular for the Sydney East Chapter. - A total of 4 new pilots were trained, with Eric Ravier, Stephen Saks, Chris Taylor and Gene Lorenz now actively assisting the Sydney-East Chapter. It is expected that a further 2-3 pilots will be trained by the end of 2025.
- T1 experienced hydraulic brake system failure in June, which was repaired in July 2024 and attended to again in June 2025; wear and tear to the canopies was noted; T2 had a service check. Regular checks by our mechanic and pilot volunteer, Nathanael Dyon, ensures safe operation.
- A grant of $1,500 was received from the Clovelly Community Bank in June 2024 allowing us to purchase a spare trishaw battery to extend the ride distances available for one of our two trishaws.
- We had 2 new care providers sign up, being Jewish Care and Charingfield.
- Invitations to partner with BIKEast to provide CWA rides were issued to Anglicare Elizabeth Lodge, Darlinghurst and to Kildare Residential Aged Care, Southern Cross Care, Maroubra.
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Highlights of the year
- Charingfield passengers enjoying a lovely autumn day in April 2025 (left). Morning tea on 31 May 2025 to discuss future management of the Chapter activities and to thank Adrian Boss for his tremendous efforts (right).
- The CWA booth at the Darling Harbour Seniors Festival – March 12-13 2025
Concluding remarks
Special thanks to Richard Lewis, Frank Dreyer, Tommaso Pelle, Yvonne Poon, Francesca Ehmig and Vibeke Catts for extra-ordinary assistance and work and all BIKEast pilots and volunteers for their continuing support.
Prepared by: Adrian Boss and Vibeke S. Catts, 16 July 2025