"Program planning is a vital, albeit time-consuming process. Without it the chances of success are limited" – Juan Martorana, project manager

Bicycle Victoria's mission is a simple one – get more people cycling, and get them doing it more often.

As the state’s premier cycling organisation, Bicycle Victoria is always looking for new opportunities to increase the number of people who cycle. With this in mind, it applied for a VicHealth Active Participation Grant for Cycling for Health, a one-year program to encourage women aged over 35 years to build cycling into their daily lives.

Preparation and careful planning has been the key to the success of this project, which was piloted in Geelong. “It isn’t enough to have an idea and then charge in like a bull at a gate”, explains Juan Martorana, project manager from Bicycle Victoria. “Program planning is a vital, albeit time-consuming process. Without it the chances of success are limited.”

Individual riders were signed up to Cycling for Health for three months. Bicycle Victoria provided the participants with an introduction to cycling, including a safety course and bike maintenance tips, and monitored their progress. Local bike shops provided free bicycle set-up so that the bikes were comfortable to ride.

In the end, 87 women passed through the pilot program. By the end most women felt confident and were, says Juan, “riding regularly and loving it”.

“I felt a renewed sense of direction that will take me many places and help me achieve things I thought were impossible”, reveals Sandra, one of the older participants.

New friend and cycling partner Margaret said the program rekindled her interest in cycling as a way to get more activity in her day. “The program has been extremely positive and empowering."

Juan is delighted by the good feedback. “The key to success,” he explains, “was setting realistic and achievable goals.”

Bicycle Victoria chose an area where there would be a good chance to build on existing infrastructure; Geelong already had decent cycling facilities and existing cycling groups.

They also had to find organisations that could deliver one or more elements of the program. They approached community health centres, local councils, GP associations, the regional sports assembly and cycling shops. In all they attracted 12 key partners.

Recruiting these partners was a learning experience, as Juan found out.

He advises not to write-off an organisation after speaking to just one person. “They might be too busy or not the right person, but they might know someone else you can talk to, or put you onto other groups.”

He also recommends finding people with passion and skills.

"Look to volunteers to build a legacy.”

During the research and planning stages of Cycling for Health, Juan identified numerous obstacles to getting women riding. These included a lack of motivation, social support, time, skills, knowledge and confidence (especially with older women), as well as needing to get a bike repaired, and work and family commitments. Other issues that potential cyclists raised included the weather and ‘helmet hair’.

To be successful the project team had to come up with ways of addressing these barriers.

“Finding ways to do this helped us to plan the program properly and to bring the partners on board” says Juan. “In our promotional material, for example, we used testimonials from women who had solved these problems. They were simple but powerful messages.”

While partners are a key part of any program, Juan stresses that there comes a time when “less is more”. “You need regular communication with partners, but the more of them you have the harder the juggling act. Try and keep it manageable. If you plan your time you will get better quality by not overstretching yourself.”

“Set dates and goals and stick to them. Get the most important things done first and think laterally when dealing with multiple tasks. Don’t think that what is on your grant application form is the final word and don’t be afraid to ask for help. This is where VicHealth is good – sometimes all that people running a project need is to hear a friendly voice.”

Juan has one more piece of advice for people when it comes to planning any program: Ask yourself, how will your program be documented and evaluated?

“You must think about this from the beginning. Think about how people can access and share information. You don’t want to waste time hunting for documents and chasing things up.”

Careful planning has paid off. Bicycle Victoria has now secured funding from the Victorian State Government to run Cycling for Health in other localities across the state. The good news is that this will create many more opportunities for people to experience first-hand that, as they say, ‘life’s better on a bike’.

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  Life's better on a bike
 

Need more info?

Contact Bicycle Victoria, phone (03) 8636 8888

Tips for success

• Day 1 – think about how to document and evaluate your program
• Take the time to plan properly, but be prepared to be flexible
• Set realistic and achievable goals
• Be smart about who you partner with – sometimes less is more
• Maintain regular communication with your partners
• Listen to your target audience and address their barriers to being involved