The Charlbury Children’s Bike Rally Needs You!

Sun 10 Apr 2022, 14:25

Saturday 10th September 2022

Now in its sixth year, the annual Charlbury Children’s Bike Rally will take place on Saturday 10th September 2022.

The ride has traditionally taken in a short or a longer route via Charlbury’s five churches, followed in recent years by Children’s Bike Gymkhana, Mass Picnic and BikeFest with e-Bike trials at Wychwood Paddocks.

The first five rallies were organised by Basil Eastwood of the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust but, as Basil is moving to Bristol this year, he is handing over the reins to James Styring and Charlbury Town Council's Journeys team, who will make sure that the event thrives and expands.

The event is supported by Charlbury Town Council, the Charlbury School Association, Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust and the Windrush Bike Project. Details of this year’s event will appear on charlbury.info, charlbury-tc.gov.uk, ohct.org.uk, facebook.com/CharlburySchoolAssociation, and windrushbikeproject.uk over the summer, but for now – save the date!

Sat 12 Feb 2022, 20:17

James, that will be the perfect solution.  I look forward your call in the coming week.

Basil

Fri 11 Feb 2022, 14:12

Hi Basil

You started a great event in the Children's Bike Rally! The Journeys team of the Town Council is happy to take on the organisation of it going forwards. I'll give you a ring next week and we can meet to discuss a handover.

jamess@charlburytowncouncil.co.uk

Fri 11 Feb 2022, 09:51

Can you help maintain this Charlbury tradition?

Since 2017 (when the Tour of Britain passed through Charlbury) I have organised the annual  Children’s Bike Rally round the five churches of Charlbury on the second Saturday in September. This has attracted between twenty-five and forty primary  and pre-school children. It has been good fun for a lot of children and their panting parents.

For the last two years the rally has ended up on the Charlbury School playing field. There the Windrush Bike Project has organised a ‘bike gymkhana’ for the children taking part and the Town Council’s environment committee has sponsored a display of e-bikes for adults. Together these three separate events could potentially create an annual Charlbury BikeFest built around the children’s rally.

Unfortunately for family reasons I am now moving away from Charlbury. I must therefore find someone who can work with me to organise the 2022 rally and, I hope, continue the tradition in future years. The systems are now in place so it should not take too much time. Apart from publicity the main task is finding the volunteer marshals to ensure that all goes smoothly and safely on the day, but a bit of preliminary planning is needed this term.

The rally is part of the annual sponsored bike round Oxfordshire’s churches organised for the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust, and there are more details and pictures of pre-Covid rallieson the OHCT website at https://ohct.org.uk/ride-and-stride/take-part/charlbury-kids-rally/

Do please give me a ring on 07969970003 if you think you might be interested in helping to maintain and build this Charlbury tradition.

Basil Eastwood