Who are we?
Hi, I am Susie Bannister, I was born with a rare syndrome called Vacterl. When I was a child I never got the opportunity to learn to cycle and as an adult I did some research and started to volunteer with a charity called Wheels for Wellbeing, which provide cycling opportunities for those with disabilities.
Wheels for wellbeing gave me the opportunity to loan a Vanraam compact Tricycle which was adapted for me. Unfortunately this was only for a few months. I have money saved already but the import costs from Holland and the special adaptations the trike I need are a bit more than we originally accounted for.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Wheels for wellbeing are a fantastic charities who have given me an ample amount of opportunities working with organisations such as Travel England, Travel for London and Sustrans trying to make cycling more accessible so it truly is for everyone as well as supporting individuals who like myself want to try cycling. However, because I cannot afford my own tricycle that I can safely and comfortably use it means that I miss out on opportunities and can’t maintain the progress I have started to make in my career and I won’t be able to attend my cycle instructor course in February.
The Vanraam Compact is a recumbent electric tricycle it is so easy for me to get on and off, it’s small enough I can use around the shops and travel on London transport as a mobility aid. The months I had the Compact Tricycle it made me more independent less reliant on those around me and the public. The tricycle made my life and pain manageable; it empowered all of my physical and mental health.
As Vanraam is a company based in Holland the import costs have gone up and the total cost of the trike itself has risen and I can’t afford the adaptions such as foot caged peddles to keep my feet in because of my muscle tone I struggle to keep my foot constantly on the peddle and they slip or the mirror so I can clearly signal and see what is behind me, due to my vertebrae I struggle to turn my neck to get a clear image of what’s behind me. The recumbent helps my sacral nerve system not be bumped around.
Wheels for Wellbeing are not able to purchase this for me but I have supported me fundraising, giving names to grants to apply for and a discount on the cost because I was part of the loan scheme. We have looked into many schemes such as cycle to work but because I need the cycle before start paid work due to the cycle instructor course. Which is why I am reaching out to crowdfunding although I have saved up majority of the cost for it, I still need support to cover the rest.
How we’ll spend the money raised
The money I raise and manage to crowdfund will be spent on a permanent Vanraam Compact Tricycle for me to use everyday as a mobility aid, form of transport and for my career.
Community impact
This will be great so I can do even more work with wheels for wellbeing but also promoting how inaccessible London is for cyclists and for people with disabilities. This will also help me to carry on advocating why cycling is so important for other people’s well being and the environment, such as working with environmental charities like CPRE.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!m
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!