Support Us Why We Need Your Support Every year we incur costs of insurance; storage; bike repair, maintenance and accessories; affiliations; training; and transportation. We also need to replace our tandems periodically. Covering our costs means that everyone rides with us at no cost. This reduces barriers to participation and improves accessibility. “VIE Velo is an amazing charity that makes a real difference to people. I know every penny is important and it gives me huge happiness that my regular donation helps.” Ewan, VIE Velo supporter Who Supports Us? Organisations Individuals “The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust knows how important it is to get out, stay active and meet others, even when there are setbacks in your health. Funding the initial VIE Velo tandem fleet and recently, two e-tandems, was a great move for us. We are delighted to hear such positive outcomes for people with sight loss having a renewed sense of adventure as a result of using the bikes.” Rachel Campbell, Director, RS Macdonald Charitable Trust What We Give You Back The satisfaction of supporting a local community that is using your money responsibly to visibly enrich and change lives. Alignment with our life affirming stories of: 1. Enabling disabled people 2. Community 3. Health 4. Participating in sport & exercise 5. Low carbon leisure Organisations We are a charity registered in Scotland. We have a Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) account. If you give grants to charities like ours, please contact us and encourage our application. Grants have enabled us to acquire and maintain our fleet of tandems. If you sponsor or make donations to local charities, please connect and let's talk. Email Us Our Main Funders And Partners “Cycle Law Scotland has been delighted to play a part in supporting VIE Velo over the years, empowering riders to overcome their visual impairment and experience the freedom of the open road.” Rod Mitchell, Marketing and Business Development Director, Cycle Law Scotland Other Significant Donors Email Us Individuals You can donate to us directly in these three ways: Bank transfer Single or regular payment Email Us Justgiving Single donation Donate A bequest in your will Email Us “VIE Velo is a most worthwhile charity run very well by enthusiastic, committed and friendly volunteers. My visually impaired daughter's confidence has grown and her fitness levels have improved since she became a member. The enjoyment that she and her fellow cyclists get from the frequent and varied rides is clear to see. I am very happy to support this wonderful charity.” Jean, VIE Velo supporter Want to know more? Email Us FAQs

Visually impaired and sighted people sharing the joy of tandem riding in and around Edinburgh. FAQs What do you want to know? Categories Getting Started Riding With Us Support Us Governance & Welfare Our community Are you a welcoming community? Try us! We welcome everyone. Our riders are all ages from 18 to 80+, an equal mix of women and men, with representation across minority groups. Socialising is just as important as cycling, which is why our long weekend rides have lunch stops. Do you have social events? Yes, we have at least three club social events a year. How much does it cost to join? Riding with us is, and always will be, free. This ensures that cost is not a barrier to participation. If regular riders wish, they can make an annual donation. We suggest this be £20, and many donate more than this. How do I sign-up to come along for the first time? Before joining our group rides for the first time, all riders must complete our training. Email us at hello@vievelo.org (mailto:hello@vievelo.org)and we will provide more information and get you along to a training session. Visual awareness Can I ask my visually impaired partner about their visual impairment? Yes, most our visually impaired riders welcome this, however be sensitive if a person indicates that they are not comfortable with the conversation. It is important to talk about communication and support needs before a ride so that the sighted rider gains an understanding of their partner’s level of vision and what communication they require during the ride. How do I guide my visually impaired partner when off the bike? Ask if they would like to be guided and how. Ask which side they would like you, right or left. Present your arm for them to hold. This allows relaxed contact between the guide and the guided. Then walk side by side, giving direction as required to navigate obstacles. Crucially, do not drag your visually impaired partner – walk normally. Check out this RNIB page (https://www.rnib.org.uk/your-eyes/navigating-sight-loss/guiding-a-blind-or-partially-sighted-person/)which provides information and videos on guiding. We include sighted guiding as part of our new rider training. Our training What is your tandem training like? Our training sessions are thorough and fun. We tend to have several new riders, sighted and visually impaired, at each session. Most have never ridden a tandem before or guided a visually impaired person. Our sessions are designed to ensure everyone feels comfortable and safe on our rides, both on and off the tandem. We train all riders on the importance of the 3 Cs of tandem riding: communication, control and confidence. We talk about visual impairment and how to guide a blind person when walking. We then demonstrate tandem riding. New riders then try tandem riding in the safety of the park. The final part is a ride out on paths and roads. Until riders have completed their training, we pair new sighted riders with other sighted riders, and new visually impaired riders with experienced sighted pilots. How long does tandem training take? We run training sessions every two months or so. Riders can complete it in a single 2-3 hour session, or in a couple of sessions, depending on their needs, progress and confidence. Further practice is always an option and is easily arranged. I have experience riding a tandem, do I need to complete your training? Yes, as part of our commitment to rider and ride safety we ask that all new riders complete training, regardless of experience. Communicating with and guiding a visually impaired person is just as important as safe tandem riding skills. How do I sign up for training? Email us at hello@vievelo.org (mailto:hello@vievelo.org)and we will get back to you promptly with more information. What other types of training do you do? We offer first aid and ride leader training to our riders, typically on an annual basis. Many of our riders are qualified Cycling Scotland ride leaders. We also do tandem 'M' check and basic maintenance training. Riders new to tandems or cycling Do I have to be able to ride a bike? If you are visually impaired, no you do not, our experienced sighted riders will look after you. If you are a sighted rider, yes, you should be able to ride a bike confidently. Do I need to have ridden a tandem before? No, most people who come along for the first time have never ridden a tandem before. We provide training for all. Can I really ride that far? When you are new to cycling, a few miles may seem impossibly far. After a few rides, you will realise that the bike rolls easily and the miles pass quickly. We pair new visually impaired riders with strong, experienced sighted riders, and we have e-tandems. Many of our riders who had doubts before they started now complete rides of forty miles or more with ease. Do I have to be fit? No, you do not. Many visually impaired people join us having struggled to take regular exercise. We have e-tandems which make cycling easier. We also take fitness levels into account when deciding rider pairings for each ride. Sighted riders should have a reasonable fitness level. Do I need to have bike maintenance skills? No. We have riders with reasonable bike maintenance skills who can fix most problems on a group ride. We help each other on rides, ensuring no-one is left behind. We provide bike maintenance training. Club communications How do you communicate with riders? We use a combination of email and the Spond app for our club communications and ride organising. We are careful to ensure our communication is accessible for our visually impaired riders. How do I find out more? Email us at hello@vievelo.org and we will get back to you promptly. We will be delighted to arrange a call, or answer your questions by email, whichever you prefer. “Cycling UK is delighted to see VIE Velo flourish since we started its initial development. It’s been an inspiring success story, bringing the joy of cycling to club members and demonstrating the power of inclusion. That success is testament to the hard work and dedication of the VIE Velo volunteers and riders to take the club forward. Cycling UK is proud to be a part of the VIE Velo story and we look forward to seeing it bring freedom and fun to even more people over the years to come.” Suzanne Forup, Head of Behaviour Change and Development Scotland, Cycling UK

Visually impaired and sighted people sharing the joy of tandem riding in and around Edinburgh. Ride With Us Our Rides Weekend long rides 09:30am-3:30pm, first Saturday and third Sunday of every month, 20-40 miles, always feature a leisurely lunch stop. Weekend short rides 09:30am-12:30pm, first Saturday and third Sunday of every month, 10-20 miles, good for newer riders, usually include a coffee stop. Wednesday evening rides 5:30pm-8:30pm, April to September, 15-25 miles, making the most of the light evenings, often feature an ice-cream stop. Special rides Weekends away, cycling events and sportives, fundraising and picnic rides, rides with visitors, we keep our calendar interesting. All our group rides start and finish at Saughton Park , Edinburgh. “I have enjoyed cycling all my life. However, my severe sight loss now prevents me from safe solo cycling. VIE Velo has enabled me to enjoy riding again. It's more than just the enjoyment of cycling. The lunchtime cafe stops are a great chance to catch up and support others with sight loss.” Eddie, Visually impaired rider What To Expect Sociable pace We ride together in small groups, with leaders front and back. We cycle at a leisurely pace on e-tandems and tandems to suit everyone. No-one is left behind. Togetherness Lunch, coffee or ice-cream stops, socialising on and off the bike is just as important as the cycling. Varied routes We explore around and outside Edinburgh riding interesting routes in all directions. We favour bike paths and quiet roads. Safe riding
 We plan our rides diligently using risk assessments. Our careful approaches to training, equipment, rides and riders keep us safe. No cost Joining our rides will always be free. We provide the tandems, equipment and someone to ride with. New rider friendly We welcome newcomers. We pair riders carefully to ensure safety and comfort. We train our pilots in visual awareness and guiding. “I joined VIE Velo in 2021 having never cycled before. As a youngster I did not have enough sight to ride a bike. I now have no sight at all. My first ride was very scary because I was anxious but everyone was so helpful, understanding and supportive. I persevered and now I really love it. Now I'm able to cycle 60 miles on a ride. Apart from the exhilarating feeling of freedom, it's so good for my mental and physical health. I am so glad I was encouraged to join the group. If you are thinking about it, give it a go!” Ann, Visually impaired rider Get Started... 1. Beginner friendly Don’t worry if you’ve never ridden a tandem before. Most haven’t. We’ll teach you how! If you’re visually impaired you don’t need to have cycling experience. Sighted riders should be confident cyclists and have a basic level of fitness. 2. In safe hands Our rides are carefully planned, risk assessed and led by experienced club members. All riders must complete our training programme before joining us on a tandem. We have appropriate policies and safeguarding procedures. 3. Training for all We run “Come & Try It” training sessions every 2 to 3 months. These are fun and informal sessions. Before partnering up on group rides we make sure our pilots are demonstrating the 3 Cs of tandem riding: communication, control and confidence. 4. We provide the bikes We have a fleet of high quality and well-maintained tandems, helmets and hi-vis vests, tools, lights, a planned route, and someone for you to ride with. Just bring yourself, some water, money for lunch or coffee, and wear comfortable clothes. 5. It’s free to ride with us Joining our rides will always be free. Our regular riders make an annual donation towards our running costs if they are able to. “I have enjoyed every ride I've been on. The routes and the company are always varied and I've met a lot of really lovely people. VIE Velo helps people to get on with exploring the world without letting sight loss get in the way. I had never ridden a tandem before but I love being able to share my love of cycling with others. It's great being able to chat as you cycle, which is so much easier on a tandem!” Fran, Sighted rider Want to know more? Email Us FAQs

About Us Enabling visually impaired and sighted people to share the joy of cycling since 2017. Our Story VIE stands for Visually Impaired Edinburgh. "Vie" means challenge. In French "vie" means life, and "velo" means bicycle. Hence our motto 'Challenge Life', because our visually impaired riders refuse to let their condition restrict them. Cycling UK in Scotland supported our early years by developing plans with some of our visually impaired riders and by providing tandems, taster sessions and storage. RS Macdonald Charitable Trust funded a fleet of new tandems and the production of our distinctive pink kit. Our riders run the club and today we regularly have 15 tandems out on weekend rides. We are all ages 18 and over, with an equal female : male split. Join us! We continue to bring cycling joy and socialising to our riders thanks to the commitment and positivity of our community and the backing of our funders. We describe the essence of VIE Velo and the joy of tandem riding in this 35 minute episode of the Edinburgh Outdoors podcast. “Joining VIE Velo was one of the best decisions I ever made. Everyone is so welcoming and having regular tandem rides and the opportunity to take part in cycling sportives is such a dream. I have met the most amazing people and made lasting friendships through the club. I always look forward to the weekend rides.” Devin, Visually impaired rider Our Journey 2017 Cycling UK partners with RNIB to gather visually impaired and sighted riders and progress plans for a club with them. We run our first tandem taster sessions at Bangholm. 2018 RS Macdonald Charitable Trust funds our fleet of tandems and our distinctive pink kit. We publicise on Facebook in July and complete our first group ride in October. 2019 We move to our permanent home in Saughton Park and ride every fortnight at weekends. We complete our constitution, hold our first AGM and elect our first Committee. 2020 During Covid we take our socialising online with Zoom calls and have our first non-cycling in-person social event. 2021 We Pedal towards COP26 in Glasgow with 300 others in the pouring rain. We have our first 10 tandem group ride and develop our new rider training. 2022 We start Wednesday evening summer rides and join our first sportive, Poppyscotland. Cycling UK gives us the tandems, marking our formal independence. 2023 We become a registered charity with Board of Trustees, secure our first e-tandem, complete our first 100km ride, have our first weekend away, and our first 15 tandem group ride. 2024 We introduce short ride options and complete our Two Bridges fundraiser ride. We run ride leader and first aid training, as well as an Edinburgh Festival of Cycling taster event. 2025 We run a taster for Sight Scotland Veterans, and become a British Cycling Limitless Champion Club. 34 of us on 17 tandems ride to Carrington Village Hall for our Christmas lunch. 2026 We launch our website and hold our first tandem maintenance training session. “As a pilot I can hear the stoker’s smile behind.” Dougie, Sighted rider How We're Run Operations We are volunteers. Our people power us, organising and leading rides, conducting training, fundraising, doing communications and events, and managing our finances. Greener Kirkcaldy maintains our tandems. Policies Our risk assessment guides actions we take before, during and after rides to keep us safe. We have insurance, a Welfare Officer, data handling and other policies. Governance Our Board of Trustees governs the club under our Constitution, meeting quarterly, reporting to our community at our October AGM, and filing annual accounts with OSCR. Affiliations We are Cycling UK and Scottish Cycling members and a British Cycling Limitless Champion Club. View our Cycling UK page. Want to know more? Email Us FAQs Check out this RNIB article and three minute video featuring our riders discussing VIE Velo. Thinking of starting a visually impaired tandem club in your area? We'll be delighted to share our experiences and tips to help you.

Visually impaired and sighted people sharing the joy of tandem riding in and around Edinburgh Challenge Life Visually impaired and sighted people sharing the joy of tandem riding in and around Edinburgh, Scotland. “I wanted to cycle as a kid and it came back to me 60 years later. It’s been a dream come true. Now, when I go out on a ride, I get a childish sense of excitement. It’s freedom on the bike, a kind of freedom I hadn’t felt anywhere else in my life. To get into something new at this stage in my life, it’s wonderful. You just feel pure joy.” Allan, Visually impaired rider Ride With Us We ride on the first Saturday and third Sunday of every month, with a choice of a longer or shorter ride. From late April to early September we ride on some Wednesday evenings. Our rides start and finish at Saughton Park, Edinburgh. Sociable pace Varied routes No cost Togetherness Safe riding New rider friendly Our Rides “Being a tandem pilot for VIE Velo brings me so much joy. I am exercising, spending time outdoors and getting to know wonderful people. I find it incredibly rewarding and I am happy for days after a ride.” Carmen, Sighted rider About Us Visually impaired riders 25 Sighted riders 50 Rides each year 35 Most tandems on a ride 17 Our longest ride 100 KM Rides to date 175 Cafes visited 45 Our oldest riders 80+ ye ars old Our youngest riders 18 years old About Us Why We Do It Blind and visually impaired people are more likely to be socially isolated, to take less exercise, to have poorer health, and to have less income. Unlike sighted people, they can’t just get on a bike and ride. We are enriching and changing lives by bringing the joy of cycling, friendship and shared experience to visually impaired and sighted people. Support Us Please help us to cover our costs and keep our rides free and accessible. Support Us "Greener Kirkcaldy is delighted to provide tandem maintenance and repair services to fellow charity VIE Velo. Enabling more visually impaired people to ride more often through our work fits our community and environmental ethos perfectly." David, Mechanic and sighted rider

Visually impaired and sighted people sharing the joy of tandem riding in and around Edinburgh. Privacy Policy 1. We follow UK GDPR guidance and we are careful to protect the personal data of people with whom we communicate. We limit the personal data which we gather, we store it securely and we use it for the sole purpose of communicating on club-related business. We require people’s consent to join our email database. We have a Data Protection Officer. Anyone can ask to see the personal data we store on them, ask for its deletion or otherwise discuss our data protection practices by contacting hello@vievelo.org . 2. We regularly remind people that they can unsubscribe by emailing hello@vievelo.org , whereupon we will delete their record. Once a year we email those who have not been engaging with us to ask if they wish to continue hearing from us, and if they do not reply we delete their records. We review our data protection practices annually. 3. Google Database. Our hello@vievelo.org email address is a gmail address. We use Google Drive and other Google office tools linked to the email address. We store personal data in a Google Sheets database which is populated by people completing our Google Form. This asks for: name, email, town (so we know where our riders are based); sighted or visually impaired; 18 or over checkbox (we do not have riders aged under 18); consent checkbox (to store personal data and use email for sending club-related communications). We also use this database to record who has made an annual donation and who has participated on rides and try it sessions. 4. We use these emails to populate a Google Contacts group through which we send group emails. 5. Our Google account is password-protected and five members have access to it. We choose strong passwords and change them annually. 6. Spond App. We use the Spond app with our active riders to coordinate our group rides. Riders download the app, find and ask to join the club, and choose their own privacy settings. The app asks for and stores name, mobile, email and date of birth by default. We also ask the rider for an emergency contact name and number. 7. Numerous ride leaders are set as administrators who can see the personal data of riders. This is essential for communication on rides. 8. Once a year we review Spond membership and delete those who are not riding from the club group.

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