A life-saving bicycle training program launched in Chelsea this year has been hit with more attendees than it can provide bikes for due to a lack of storage space.
BikeMinded provides free drop-in cycling lessons for Chelsea residents. The majority of those who come tend to be Muslim women who live in the World’s End Estate.
The aim of the program is to promote health and wellness in the community and to encourage environmental sustainability. For the women in attendance, the ability to ride a bike could be liberating and give them mobility they have not had before, said Marina Kroyer, Sustainable Living Coordinator for the program.
Kroyer said she purchased six foldable bicycles to fit in the storage space provided by Chelsea Theatre.
This summer was the first time the classes were offered in Chelsea and attendance reached up to twelve people per session. With only six bikes, the Chelsea chapter of BikeMinded cannot accommodate the demand for its services.
“Purchasing more bikes is not the issue,” said Kroyer, explaining that the lessons are funded by Transport for London. “We just can’t find places to store them.”
According to Philippa Robb, Lead Cycling Instructor for Kensington and Chelsea, the theater has been very accommodating to their needs. However, limited storage space is an issue for all involved.
“Our bike sheds are too small and we can't expand the project until we get a bigger shed,” she said, adding that funding for new sheds is “in the pipeline.”
The program’s original chapter began three years ago in North Kensington. The program has trained about 300 cyclists each year. The classes that take place in Chelsea began early this summer, after two years of promoting the program in the area.
Attendance has gone down as the weather cools, but Kroyer and Robb both hope to have storage for more bicycles by spring.