Dear All
I hope you are all well even though in the depths of winter! It is just over five months since our first camping event and this email is about the prospects for a second!
This email is being sent to those who participated at the 2022 event at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre. Action requested – please reply as soon as you can, and in any event no later than Tuesday 14 February, saying whether you will be coming and the details of other members of your group. (We hope that you will be able to bring some others with you this year).
Greater detail follows below.
Background: You can see some information about last year’s fun event at the following link:>
https://traveltalksleicester.co.uk/active-travel-on-holiday-camping-taster-weekend-sponsored-by-ride-leicester-and-community-cycles-leicester/
The purpose of this note is to invite commitments to attend so that we can plan with confidence. We have so far landed one grant of £300 and are fairly confident that another grant, perhaps even two, may be achieved. The purpose of the event itself is to “Show and Tell” how anyone might take a holiday break based on Active Travel and Cycle Camping.
As in 2022, we plan to provide as much as we can of the weekend free of charge. The camping will be free and we will have to see if we can similarly provide the Bell Boating activity on the same basis. We have approached funders so that we can provide the experience on an equitable basis. At an early stage like now there are always uncertainties, but we are working hard to clarify things as best we can and underpin another fun active travel experience.
Why are we doing this?
The number of people who say that they’ve never been camping is very high. Most people who camped as children tend to remember it with glee. Three things drove the idea in 2022.
The first was the Active Travel theme: enjoy the health dividend of exercise while moving rather than “sit down and steer”.
The second was the availability of a hidden gem for the people of Leicester – the Outdoor Pursuits Centre. Not everyone knew about it. Like many charities, LOPC took a big hit from the Pandemic.
The third was a willingness among us to help “show” what local cyclists and cycling organisations do and “tell” how they do it. Leicester City Council has a world leading approach to cycling and its infrastructure. The local cycling community is well represented in planning and delivering this event. Leicester Spokes, Community Cycles, Cycle-City and Leicester Wheels for All are all involved again this year.
Planned Timetable in Brief
So far we have come up with the following draft timetable
- Arrival After 16:30 on 19 May 2023. (Outdoor Pursuits Centre, Leicester LE4 5PN)
- Saturday activities 20 May. Camping and Cycle Rides. Plus an evening get-together in the social area around the fire.
- Sunday 21st May – Bell Boating event and final day of camping.
As ever, there will be some administration/form filling around the camping and bell boating – full details to follow.
Everyone is responsible for their own food, drink and camping equipment. We may be able to help with some items and please let me know if you need anything. As it is a “Show and Tell” event there will be plenty of people on hand to provide hints and tips where it is wanted. Most campers provide their own food and cooking utensils but it is also possible to buy food (ingredients or cooked meals) nearby.
If you have any questions/ideas please let us know by email. We will write again next week with an update. If you would like to discuss anything please let me know by email – certainly in the first instance. My impaired hearing isn’t equal to receiving calls without prior arrangements, as I think many of you will probably know.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
If you know of any funders who work or support events in this space please let us know. We will be delighted to contact them.