The Edinburgh Reporter February 2022

8 CAMPAIGN FOCUS
Borrow a cargo bike
Charity will help families and businesses move onto two wheels
By PHYLLIS STEPHEN
CARGO BIKE MOVEMENT (CBM) will next
month take their bikes to St Margaret’s Park in
Corstorphine for anyone who wants to have a
shot, but they also have a longer term scheme
which allows individuals and families or
businesses to find out if a cargo bike is
appropriate for them.
The group is one which arose during the
pandemic. It was set up informally in 2020 by
Active Nation Commissioner, Lee Craigie, and
her fellow cycle adventurer, Alice Lemkes, who
both had cargo bikes and who wanted to do
something useful with them. The pair had in
2019 ridden cargo bikes from Edinburgh to
Copenhagen accompanied by two other
women, aiming to arrive just before midnight
on Hogmanay. Riding in pairs they took it in
turns to be cosied down in the front of the bike
when not in the saddle. The pair of adventurers
built up connections with people in Edinburgh
around food collections at the start of the
pandemic, and could be spotted cycling their
bikes carrying food all over the city. Over time
volunteers got in touch to offer their help and
Naomi Arnold was one of those.
Now she is the CBM Project Manager. She
realised that the organisation might just fizzle
out last summer, and that it would be a pity to
lose the momentum which had built up. As
someone who used to work in the
environmental charity sector for around seven
years, Naomi offered to write a funding
application to Paths for All which resulted in
her having a full time job.
In the wake of the Edinburgh Cycle Hire
Scheme ending, £75,000 of council funding was
awarded to CBM to develop their service. They
lend out cargo bikes from a base they set up in
Tollcross.
Naomi explained how welcome the funding
Nora Robertson
(86) says
“friendship
makes
all the
difference”
84-year-old
Dennis
Johnston
“loves the
company”
Margaret
Burt (86)
enjoys
being out
of the house
was at this time. She said: “The reason that the
funding from the City Council is so crucial as
because we can use that money, as match
funding for our Paths for All application, which
means we can get basically double. If we are
successful, we will get around £120,000.”
Additional funding would mean that the
organisation can recruit a project coordinator
to work alongside Naomi and that they might
also look at extending into adjacent premises.
CBM shares its Tollcross space with Farr Out, a
city courier company which uses cargo bikes,
depending on their help (and that of a few
other city cycle shops) to repair and service the
bikes they now own.
Forever Young need you
FOREVER YOUNG CLUB Chair,
Mary Murray is really glad that
the club can reconvene, even if
it is only four days a week, and
for shorter hours than before.
The club is a lifeline to people
who are isolated and unable to
get out on their own. It depends
on doctors and families to refer
new clients to them. Most of the
people who come to play
dominoes, or word games and
eat a light lunch are mobile, but
at Carrickvale Community
Centre they can accommodate
wheelchair users.
The club has kept going -
though only just - as a result of
some guidance from local MSP,
Gordon Macdonald, who put
Naomi enjoys a
cargo bike ride
them in touch with a
professional fundraiser. That has
resulted in the club having
enough funds for the next six
months or so. Their council
funding was cut before the
pandemic, and there appears
little hope of the £26,120 per
annum being reinstated.
Mary enjoys being able to pull a
figure like that out of her head,
having run the club for
Stenhouse, Whitson and
Saughton Mains residents for
many years. But she explained:
“We are really frugal with the
money we have. And we are
also fortunate in receiving
donations and gifts which has
helped us to keep going.
Project Manager
Naomi Arnold
Naomi explained that she would like to
expand the outreach part of the project, taking
the message about how useful cargo bikes can
be to a variety of people and businesses.
Members of the public can borrow the bikes to
try them out before they buy in two ways - at
the Corstorphine event they will simply be able
to have a shot at riding the bike, but there is
also a possibility of hiring one on a longer term
basis. CBM have three bikes specifically for
longer term loans thanks to funding from
Energy Saving Trust.
Naomi said: “We just want people to try
them. So just come along. I can train anyone
who then wants to borrow one. Being able to
try cargo bikes such as the one we are holding
in March is really important, but for people to
be able to borrow a bike from us for say a
couple of months to see if it works for them is a
huge game changer.”
”Previously we held raffles and
tombolas as one of our main
moneyspinners. Now we need
some core funding to make us
sustainable.”
The community centre has been
a generous landlord and has
placed a pause on their rent for
now, but that may have to be
addressed again in future.
There are two paid members of
staff who pick clients up in a
minibus and bring them to the
centre to first of all enjoy a cup
of tea and a chat. Along with
four volunteers this is a happy
environment for older people to
enjoy on their doorstep. There is
a Just Giving page where you
are invited to donate if you can.
Saddle up and
get off road
By KIRSTY LEWIN
IN EDINBURGH we have some great
off-road paths for cycling that include
interesting heritage sites, wonderful
views, and wildlife habitats that are rich
with birds, butterflies, plants, and
mammals. My favourite cycle trip, that I
did regularly throughout lockdown,
includes all of these. It’s a circular route
that takes in Craigmillar Castle and the
Braids. As it changes dramatically with the
seasons it’s worth doing several times
over the year. You can do the ride in an
hour or two or make it a longer trip by
taking a picnic. If you have binoculars, do
take them along.
Start via the Innocent Railway Path by
the Commonwealth Pool. Swoop down
through the Innocent Railway Tunnel
(over 500 metres in length), and, as you
get out into the open, look up to your left
for great views of Arthur’s Seat. There may
even be cows in the field by the path, an
unusual sight so close to the city centre.
At the bottom of the path, you’ll turn right
into Peffermill Industrial Estate, and from
there it’s a few minutes up to the park.
Craigmillar Castle Park is one of
Edinburgh’s best kept secrets. The castle,
a large baronial structure now run by
Historic Environment Scotland, was built
in the fifteenth century by John Preston.
Mary Queen of Scots famously used the
castle as a haven in 1556. The park itself
has extensive woodlands, a children’s
playpark, and a network of paths to
explore. The last time I cycled through the
park I saw a buzzard perched on a branch
that then took off, hunting through the
trees. While they can be hard to spot if
they aren’t moving, their mewling cries
are distinctive. And look out for other
animals like voles and foxes.
Leave the park from the west side and
head through the Inch. The oldest date on
Inch House is said to be 1617. From here,
it’s a gentle climb to access the Hermitage
of Braid. Follow the gravel path all the
way along the Braid Burn (it can be
muddy in places after a lot of rain). Stop
to see the 18th century rubble-built
subterranean Braid Ice House. A few
minutes further along, take a break for a
while with coffee and cake at the Lodge
Coffee House.
From here you can cycle back on the
council’s newly developed quiet route
through residential streets in
Morningside, the Grange and Marchmont
to the Meadows. For route details, check
out the recently published Spokes
Lothian Edinburgh map.