McGregor cycling

McGregor Young Warriors and Angels

The McGregor Youth Warrior Group is a 1 year internship program at the Breede Centre where approximately 9 school children can experience the sport of cycling and the healthy lifestyle benefits associated with it. The objective is to increase this number to enable more children in the Langeberg to enjoy these opportunities.

What are the specific skills development and growth areas?

Each child receives the opportunity to learn how to ride a mountain bike, with all the technical skills required in order to do so;
Organised group rides are arranged where they can interact on a social level in a safe and secure environment;
They participate once a month in a PPA event where they meet other like-minded children and adults, exposing them to opportunities outside their normal environment. Here they also learn about cycling ethics and manners, and learn how to respect others. It is a disciplined sport that requires structure, focus and a lot of dedication.
The children learn how to repair bicycles and to take responsibility for their bicycles and other cycling items.
They learn how to give back by training and guiding new riders.

What was our specific contribution?

Langeberg Youth Development liaised with the Pedal Power Association to purchase BMX bicycles for the Breede Centre and McGregor community.

A new BMX bike park has been approved and the funding obtained, and construction will shortly commence. This bike park will create a safe and fun space for all kids of McGregor, where they can go and play with the BMX bikes, develop their balance and technical skills, and obtain social skills in an environment where everybody has to share. The older children, already in the program, will partake in the overall responsibility of the upkeep and management of the bike park. One of the McGregor Youth Warriors’ cyclists, who left school, will be appointed as the key person running the operation during the day (with the assistance, guidance and overseeing of a more experienced senior person).

If this project works, there is no reason why similar projects cannot be launched in other towns in the Langeberg district. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a bike park in each town, supervised and managed well, with children enjoying themselves and learning new skills? Imagine the fun if the different towns can compete against each other?

As the Breede Centre already have BMX bicycles (but not nearly enough), we purchased, with the wonderful cooperation of the Pedal Power Association (PPA), 7 BMX bicycles with helmets. The PPA gave an additional 3 BMX bicycles for free, therefore we donated 10 BMX bicycles to the Breede Centre.