PEOPLE with physical disabilities and their carers can try out adaptive bikes at this year’s Whitehill and Bordon summer activity day on Saturday, August 13, outside The Forest Community Centre in Bordon.

Change Gear Cycle Centre, at Alice Holt Forest near Farnham, has a fleet of adaptive bikes, designed to cater for people with physical disabilities.

There are large trikes, wheelchair bikes and a cycle, known as “the Twister”, which seats two people side by side. The Cycle Centre maintains the bikes for a Cycling for All Club which runs on Thursdays, 10am to 1pm, at Alice Holt Forest.

“Our passion is to encourage more people to cycle more safely”, said Ben Glenister, brand manager for Change Gear.

“We agreed to bring some of our bikes free of charge to last year’s Activity Day. It was so successful we have decided to take part in the event again this year.

“This year, as well as our normal bikes, we will be bringing some of our adaptive bikes which are fun to use and enable people who would not normally be able to explore the countryside to get out and about.”

Change Gear will organise a cycle zone at this year’s Activity Day. Bicycles of all sizes will be available to ride for free.

Free MOTs for bikes will be offered and there will be a cycling obstacle course where children and young people can improve their skills by negotiating cones, ramps and seesaws.

Visitors will be able to find out more about the other activities at the centre such as Trailblazers, a Saturday children’s cycling club.

There will be information about Alice Holt Forest’s cycling trails which include an all-ability trail for inexperienced cyclists, and a family trail through woodland and picnic areas including steep hills and a seven-mile trail via Frensham ponds.

“The Cycle Centre has kindly offered us a raffle prize for a day’s cycling at Alice Holt Forest,” said Claire Coxwell, Whitehill and Bordon Town Partnership committee member and Activity Day organiser.

“With the new NHS Healthy Town Status that Whitehill and Bordon has recently achieved, we are encouraging a healthy lifestyle at this year’s Activity Day.

“As well as the cycling, there will be other activities taking place - a climbing wall, sporting challenges provided by Mill Chase Leisure Centre, jiving and other dance workshops, and Radian will be bringing along their Wellbeing Wagon.”

This is not the first time that Change Gear has contributed to a Whitehill and Bordon community event.

The group has run bike tours of the Prince Philip Barracks.

The Activity Day is one of several community events organised for the town by the volunteer-led organisation Whitehill and Bordon Town Partnership which aims to develop a thriving community in the town.

Future events include the town Firework Display on Wednesday, November 2, and the Christmas Fair on Saturday, December 3.

n To find out more about the Summer Activity Day, visit www.wbtp.co.uk or www.facebook.com/wbtpg and anyone wanting to run an activity for the public on the day should contact Claire Coxwell on 07733 056060.