We are making 2021 the Year of the Volunteer and shining a light on the brilliant work volunteers do for all forms of cycling across the home nations and we want to make sure we acknowledge the huge contribution volunteers make to cycling on a more regular basis.
Each month, we are taking nominations from our across the regions and home nations. If you think someone deserves a mention, get in touch on social media with your respective regional or national teams or via @BCCoaches on Twitter.
A huge thank you and well done to all that have been nominated this month from everyone at British Cycling.
Name: David Stoyle
Region: South
Role and/or qualification: Vice Chair, Bath Cycling Club
David was instrumental in launching and running of the BC South Local Inter-Club Zwift Race Charity Christmas Series. The aim was to celebrate the success (in adversity) of the year, keep the motivation and engagement over the Christmas period, and raise money as ‘cycling says thanks’ for the free-to-enter league competition, whilst maintaining the "social" dynamic of keeping the network of local riders together through the pandemic and sharing knowledge/information about online cycling through that network. A local sponsor offered a prize draw to win a rocker plate for the first 180 people who entered and donated to charity. Four races were held, three different circuits and a time-trial, with team and individual classifications across 3 men’s and 2 women’s race categories. Results were posted after each race along with GC points and standings with engaging posts on the Facebook group and plenty of content shared by riders ‘enjoying’ their experience! Across the 4 events, there were a total of 650 participants from 50 clubs.
Get started with British Cycling Clubs
Name: Atchara Khonglim
Region: North West
Role and/or qualification: Breeze Champion & Bikeability Instructor, Tameside Circuit
Atchara runs women-only entry-level cycling sessions and led Breeze rides to boost cycling confidence in the local community. Atchara has collaborated with both British Cycling and Cycling UK to develop her social media promotion and recruit volunteers to support, as well as talked through the requirements, risk assessments etc for the circuit.
The initial interest in the first few sessions of Atchara’s was huge. Purely promoted through social media and the local community, women from the Tameside areas rushed to sign up. Due to the changing covid-19 restrictions on group sizes, the sessions ended up oversubscribed.
The feedback from the sessions was fantastic and lots of learnings came from them to aid development in the future. There were lots of women of different abilities and from a range of diverse ethnic groups in attendance.
Atchara’s next step is to train as a coach to support skill development sessions at the circuit.
Become a Ride Leader or Bikeability Instructor
Name: Alice Lethbridge
Region: South East
Role and/or qualification: Event Organiser & racer, Kingston Wheelers
Following the suspension of activity last year, as a region the South East took to the virtual world of Zwift to keep our clubs connected and maintain a degree of friendly competition. Alongside our furloughed Regional Events Officer (REO), Alice was one of a small 3 person working group that sought to organise, plan and promote club activity on Zwift. Alice not only competes herself but encourages women and girls across the region to take part and has been a driving force behind Socks4watts race team and the Womens strand of the BCSE offer. Alice inspires not only the female Zwifters in the region but commits a huge amount of time to support all those around her, including her club mates of Kingston Wheelers. Alice is always busy in the background; Phil (REO, SE) and the Zwift workgroup are truly grateful for all her support over the last year, and whole heartedly believe she is very much worthy of a national shout out!
Name: Owen Newbury
Region: North East
Role and/or qualification: Coach, Manilla Cycling
Over the last few months Owen has proved not only an asset to his own club but also the wider North East region. As well as coaching within his club, Owen has also been regularly supporting the North East Team, volunteering coaching support at Rider Development Sessions and Talent Development Centres.
A beneficiary of the region's accelerator fund, enabling him to complete his British Cycling Level 1 Coaching Award, Owen has also more recently been helping keep the youngsters in the North East motivated throughout Lockdown, providing weekly training sessions on Zwift and Zoom engaging with numerous youngsters from a variety of North East Clubs. Owen has also supported a number of youngsters and parents with advice getting them setup on Zwift for the first time and guiding them through the process. On top of this Owen has also recently developed a new YouTube Channel ‘Cycle Talk NE’ alongside Patrick Kilcullen from Stockton Wheelers CC. Owen has demonstrated our core value of Unity bringing riders from all clubs together and making sessions inclusive for all.
Name: Imogen Callaway
Region: South West
Role and/or qualification: Breeze Champion & Guided Rides Leader & Area Coordinator
An active member of the LGBTQ community and disagnosed with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, Imogen started cycling as a way of making new friends and getting back out into the world after she had a rough time when she told her friends about her diagnosis. She is relatively new to cycling but is exceptionally dedicated to getting more women on to bikes and on to Breeze and Ride Leader courses. Imogen supports the British Cycling South West Team with recreation projects, for example, sharing newsletters and Facebook posts and joining our board recreation working group meetings. Imogen uses social media to promote cycling, particularly for women, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube video. Check her out!
More about Breeze and Guided Rides
Name: Stuart Watson
Region: East Midlands
Role and/or qualification: Guided Rides Leader
Stuart has demonstrated passion and innovation over the last number of months, delivering a Couch to 20 mile programme in his local community and supporting the participants to ride with the TDQ group identifying a clear pathway for them to continue their cycling journey.
Adhering to the covid restrictions and government guidance Stuart ran his rides in a covid safe way whilst still making the rides enjoyable and progressive. Additionally Stuart has been a regular attendee to the midlands webinar series as well as the clubs and group East Midlands series just launched, further demonstrating his passion for cycling.
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