Salford BMX

Access Sport have started women-only BMX sessions at Peel Park Community bike track in Little Hulton, Salford.

BMXercise is a fun, friendly and fitness-based program developed by charity, Access Sport. Which aims to give women a new and enjoyable way to get fit.

The Salford BMX park was a collaboration between Access Sport and Velosolutions UK and has been built since June this year.

Having generated a lot of traffic already, Mike Power, CIO of Access Sport commented: “There’s over 5,000 people using the track a month on their own.

“We’re trying to make it accessible to the local community as much as we can.”

With the BMXercise sessions being trailed and tested at previous London and Bristol sites, Access Sport decided to bring them to Little Hulton.

Mike said: “This is the first one we’ve built in the Northwest, we’ve got five in Bristol and over 20 in London.

“The response we’ve had in London and Bristol have been really good, we have ongoing sessions with about a dozen women attending each time.

“It’s been really affective in engaging young females that may want something to do in the daytime.”

Two women at previous BMXercise session.

With all the equipment provided, the sessions are free and work to increase fitness in a fun and friendly atmosphere, which sets BMXercise apart from the norm.

Mike said: “It’s basic learning skills for BMX, a little bit of fitness elements in there, socially there’s some activities after that, some more circuits and that sort of stuff.

“But really I’m just trying to encourage more people to ride their bikes.

“We’re doing an hour a week initially for six weeks, with the sessions being free to attend.”

Sessions start Monday 1st November from 9:30-10:30am and will end 13th December. They will be reviewed in the New Year and continue depending on how many people attend.

Mike commented: “If people are interested and it’s going well then we’ll keep it going.

“We have ambitions to build more BMX tracks across Greater Manchester, it’s discussions we’re having at the moment with the different councils and community groups.”

Women at previous BMXercise session.

As well as starting the BMXercise sessions, Access Sport also do a lot of work with the schools in the local area.

Mike said: “We’re engaging with local schools; we’ve had five different primary schools and two secondary schools come and take part in ten-week outreach blocks at the track.

“We have community sessions on Thursday evenings, which targets children that may be beginners or with special needs, to help them learn to ride a bike and access the track.

“We also deliver female only sessions for youngsters as well, which have had 15 attending for the last five weeks down there on a Thursday night.”

Group photo from previous children’s BMX session.

The track is also open access and floodlit till nine in the evening, making it a safe space for people to use as and when they want to.

Mike concluded: “Our view is to just get as much of the community to use it as possible, in hope of creating a community club there, which then becomes part of the community.”

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