Dreaming Big for Bike Month

This October St Augustine's are dreaming bigger and better than ever before. I was inspired by Wembley Downs PS Bike Month in Herdsman Lake event last year in my thinking around what St A's could possibly pull off to encourage families to ride together for Bike Month.

We have submitted a Bike Month grant application for a 'Local Event' which is the mid range event valued up to $2000 - this includes the opening the event to the wider community. As this is the first time we are opening to the public and and attempting anything larger than a 'Minor Event', we are aiming for a more modest grant value of $900 rather than the full $2000.

We applied to host a community treasure hunt to be accessed by bike on Kuljak Island in Ascot. The island is a safe place for new or rusty riders to ride on gravel and bitumen without worrying about traffic. Families can feel safe while stretching their legs and filling their lungs with fresh air. If fresh air and fun isn't enough to inspire families to get on two wheels, then the treasure hunt is sure to keep the them moving. Prizes to be won and icecreams available cool down afterwards to reward the hard work. All welcome to join in this community event!

The application asked for a detailed plan of how to create a successful event and specifics on how the funds would be spent as well as the plan to promote attendance for the event. Included in this is making contact with the City of Belmont to obtain relevant permissions.

It also asked how we would seek to achieve the WA Bike month objectives:

• Promote and encourage bike riding for transport, fun and for a healthier lifestyle.
• Increase awareness and use of new and existing bike infrastructure, bike routes (i.e. the cycle network), and local facilities that you can get to by bike.
• Encourage new, novice and rusty riders of all ages and abilities to go for a bike ride. This field is required.

By locating the event in a traffic free and quiet area, a safe space is provided for new, novice and rusty riders of all ages and abilities to go for a ride. The entire treasure hunt course will be accessible to all kinds of bikes, including tricycles for mobility impaired riders. The event location a relatively unknown local facility which, due to it's lack of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, is perfect for learning bike skills and gaining confidence in bike riding. The event will promote and encourage use of this facility for bike riding for fun and a healthier lifestyle - with the confidence this brings, families will be encouraged to use bike riding for transport also.

We have all our fingers and toes crossed that this application is successful and that we are provided the funding to host a brilliant event. I am looking forward to working together with the student team and P & F to support our community to get out and enjoy our local treasure of Kuljak Island.