01 Jul 2011 PPA allocates R1 850 000 to project funding
Cape Town, 1 July 2011:- The Pedal Power Association (PPA) is delighted to announce allocating some R1 850 000 to support 38 cycling-related projects over the next year, bringing the funding spent on cycling projects over the last four years to a total of just under R7 million. In this way, the Association has recently supported some 120 specific cycling-related projects.
“We are in the fortunate position that the Pedal Power Association and the Rotary Club of Claremont are the beneficiaries of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust, who organises, amongst others, the annual Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. The PPA uses any profits received in this way to run the Association, and, in 2011-2012, will plough over R1,85 million into cycling projects,” explained the current PPA Chairman, Steve Hayward.
In addition to supporting specific projects, the Association also assists service organisations to annually organise some 50 funrides in order to raise funds for charity. These events are split roughly half-half between mass participation road and off-road funrides. On average, the PPA subsidises each funride with products and services valued between R15 000 and R22 000.
Who is the Pedal Power Association?
The Pedal Power Association is the largest cycling organization in the Western Cape, and the biggest provincial cycling body in the country. It currently has some 19 000 paid-up members.
Founded in 1976 as the Western Province Pedal Power Association, the PPA (a Public Benefit Organisation) came into being as a result of the running of the first Cycle Tour that was to develop into the now-world famous Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour.
Projects for 2011-2012
Projects supported by the PPA in 2011-2012 can broadly be grouped under the following: BMX, mountain bike trails, assisting cyclists with disabilities, commuting, cycling development, safe cycling initiatives, and cycle racing.
With BMX tracks being used successfully to introduce youngsters to cycling as well as to provide a traffic-free environment in which to exercise, the PPA has supported the building and upgrading of six BMX tracks in the past three years, with four new tracks being added to the list this year. These new tracks are at Greyton/Genadendal, Bonteheuwel, Elgin and Oudtshoorn.
Over the last two years the PPA has also assisted cyclists with disabilities. In 2011, the Association will not only again provide assistance regarding hand cycles, but also tricycles for physically impaired children in Upington as well as tandem bicycles for blind cyclists from Worcester.
Commuting continues to be a focal area for the PPA, and in the 2011-2012 funding year, the Association will be supporting a post-graduate study being done at the University of Cape Town to determine safe passing distances related to cyclists, as well as the provision of commuter bicycles to various communities. The PPA will also continue with its Safety Drives, when helmets and reflecting rear lights are handed out to commuters from previously disadvantaged areas.
With off-road cycling continuing to grow year-on-year, the PPA has supported the creation and maintenance of mountain bike tracks for many years. The new funding year is no different, and PPA will be supporting new MTB tracks and track maintenance in the popular Tokai plantation, as well as on Table Mountain, near Somerset-West and in the Houwhoek/Grabouw areas. The PPA is also continuing with its aim to have a continuous MTB trail created from Cape Point to Table Mountain.
Over the years it has been important to the PPA to assist cyclists in previously disadvantaged and rural areas, not only from a commuting perspective, but also to use cycling as a means of life skills development; to foster a healthy lifestyle, or as a sport. To this end, the PPA spends the largest portion of its project funding on cycling development and junior riders. In this funding year, the Association will be supporting fifteen development clubs and two rural Foundations with specific projects. The PPA also continues, however, to support the more than 30 development clubs with their 700+ members on its database in various ways.
While the Pedal Power Association generally focuses on mass participation events, the Association also support cycle racing and, for 2011-2012, will provide funding towards the 2011 Western Province Road, Time Trial and Track Championships, as well as the 2011 Cycling South Africa Youth Festivals. The Association will also be putting on a long-distance funride over 160km in October 2011, as well as a women’s-only funride in November 2011.
PROJECTS SUPPORTED IN 2011-2012
BMX
New Applewood BMX track, Elgin
New Bonteheuwel BMX track, Cape Flats
Genesis Crash Site, Strandfontein
Velokhaya BMX Oval, Khayelitsha
Alrode BMX Track, Johannesburg
COMMUTING & SAFE CYCLING
Child Welfare, Wellington
Elgin Early Learning Foundation, Grabouw
UCT Post-graduate study, Cape Town
Bicycling Empowerment Network, Westlake,Western Cape
Helmet & light safety drives, Western Cape
Safe Cycling workshops as well as Engen safe cycling initiative, Western Cape schools
CYCLE RACING
WP Schools Cycling Academy
WP Track Championships 2011
WP Road Championships 2011
WP Time Trial Championships 2011
CSA Youth Festival 2011
PPA One Tonner 2011
PPA Women’s-only Funride 2011
Leagues racing
CYCLISTS WITH DISABILITIES
Hand cycles for Chaeli Campaign, southern suburbs
Tandem bicycles for the Institute of the Blind, Worcester
Tricycles for the Oasis Skills Development Centre, Upington
SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT CYCLING CLUB INITIATIVES
Hout Bay Cycling Club, Hout Bay
Kinetic Cycling Club, Bishop Lavis
Suburbs Cycling Club, southern suburbs
Cape Town Giants Cycling Club, southern suburbs
Muhammedeyah Cycling Club, Wynberg
Steenberg Cycling Club, Steenberg
Cedar High Cycling Club, Mitchells Plain
Pinelands North Primary Cycling Club, Pinelands
Fairmount High Cycling Club, Lotus River
Freewheelers Cycling Club, Steenberg
Yep Clan, Khayelitsha
Heinz Park Cycling Club, Heinz Park
Rhadsport Cycle Club, Paarl
Ngumathuba cycling initiative, George
Southern Cape Cycling Association, Oudtshoorn
Southernmost Foundation, Bredasdorp
Goedgedacht Trust, Malmesbury
Anna Foundation, Stellenbosch/Boland
MOUNTAIN BIKING
New trails & trail maintenance, Tokai
New trails & trail maintenance, Table Mountain
New trails & trail maintenance, Somerset West
New trails & trail maintenance, Grabouw
New trails & trail maintenance, Hermanus
New trails & trail maintenance, Botrivier