The success of Velodarlo has been recognised with a national award to expand the project into 2010. DarLOVElo will launch on December 9th at the UK premiere screening of Beauty and the Bike, the documentary film about our work.
The award comes from the New Ideas Fund, a national scheme run by Bike Hub and funded by, amongst other things, a small levy on all bikes sold in UK participating shops. The Fund previously launched the Bike It scheme, run by Sustrans, that is now a feature of the majority of Britain’s schools. The hope is that DarLOVElo, focused on getting more women into cycling, will provide a similar launchpad for what will eventually become a feature of every town and city in the country.
Harri repairs an inner tube
DarLOVElo will inherit the Velodarlo Bike Pool, and will receive initial funding of over £30,000 to buy some 40 more bikes, and to set up a base with part-time staff near the centre of the town. The young women from the Beauty and the Bike project are committed to founding the Bike Club that will be the central feature of the new project. Already, they have been receiving skills training from members of Darlington Cycling Campaign in repairs and maintenance.
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