Sutherland Club of the Year for the Wheelers
Wim Chalmet, Secretary of local cycling club East Sutherland Wheelers accepted the trophy on behalf of the club. Wim commented “I believe this is a great recognition for the club. The committee and members have worked very hard throughout 2013 to make the club a success. On behalf of the club we would like to dedicate this award to those who have given their time and energy to encourage cycling development in East Sutherland”.
(pic, natalie robbins)
The club strives to give everyone an opportunity to access cycle sport. Half of the ESW membership is female and earlier this year we held the most northerly Scott Contessa Road Race Academy which saw 35 women join weekly coaching session to develop skills and confidence on their bikes. A number of those women recently raced their first Road Race in Mulochy and took part in Scotland’s only Cycletta Sportive in Perth as well as having actively participated in both club and regional time trials throughout the year.
(pic, steve robertson)
The club is also a driving force in youth development for time trialling and road racing with a number of youth attending regional and national racing events with East Sutherland Wheelers Youth representation in Youth Tour of Scotland and International Youth Tour of Ireland... The club coaches help out with the Scotland Youth Future Team.
ESW coordinate national events which bring others to the far north, this year hosting the North of Scotland Time Trial and Criterium Championships with over 160 participants visiting Sutherland to compete. Later in the year, the club also helps out with the organisation of the Highland Dirt Crit, a series of races which aim to encourage youngsters into Mountain biking
Wim continued “East Sutherland Wheelers aim to be an inclusive cycling club with something for everyone and this year we reached the 200 member mark. The club has become a social hub with members from communities across East Sutherland and beyond meeting at least once a week to undertake cycling activities’
(pic steve robertson)
The club sees it as essential to try to remove the financial burden for participation in cycle sport through provision of support for youth race participation with bursaries for getting to events and discounted kit. In addition, the club has raised funds for club grass track bikes so members can take part in events. The membership fee is also kept to a minimum to help make the club even more accessible.
As an accredited spinning centre, during the winter months the club runs spinning sessions for approximately 120 participants each week. The clubs summer programme consists of weekly coaching and race practice on the Little Ferry Kart track, time trials, pursuit races , touring rides, grass track racing at the highland games, come and try sessions at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, informal club rides and competition across Scotland for some of the clubs members. At the end of the season the club holds a prize giving presentation get-together for all members.
The programme is only possible with a coaching team and structured coach development programme. The club has 6 qualified spinning instructors, 6 UKCC Level 2 cycling coaches 5 Road and Time trial coaches, 1 mountain bike coach, 1 track coach, 6 trail cycle leaders, 1 mountain bike leader and 5 CTC ride leaders. All of the coaches are first aid qualified and have a full disclosure (PVG). East Sutherland Wheelers achieved Go – Ride status in 2012. This is a national standard which recognises that the club observes best practice in child protection, coaching, competition, equity and club management.
We could not have achieved these goals without the support from local businesses, councillors, Sutherland Sports Council, North of Scotland Kart Track, Highland Wildcat MTB Trails, Highland Council Discretionary Fund, Gordonbush Community Fund, Kilbraur Wind Farm Community Benefit Trust, BIG Lottery Fund and the Postcode Lottery Fund.