Call for virtual Peer Mentors, to help with the launch of our inclusive cycle hire scheme, ‘Wheels4Me London’!
Wheels for Wellbeing has secured funding to develop and pilot an inclusive cycle hire scheme in London, in partnership with fellow inclusive cycling organisation Bikeworks. The “soft launch” is planned for towards the end of February, and we will be inviting our existing session participants as soon as the necessary systems are in place.
As part of this scheme, we want to offer hirers the option of having a Peer Mentor – a Disabled cyclist who rides for transport or leisure purposes. Don’t worry if you haven’t been a Peer Mentor before, as we will support you in this role through an induction, online training and a volunteer handbook.
PEER MENTORS: WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are looking for a person who enjoys listening to people and helping address their queries by sharing personal knowledge and experience.
We are seeking enthusiastic cyclists, ideally with experience of cycling in an urban area such as London – whether on roads, traffic-free cycle routes or in parks.
Please note that you would be required to share your phone number and/or email address.
PEER MENTORS: THE ROLE
You would mentor people who have hired a cycle through the ‘Wheels4Me London’ inclusive cycle hire scheme pilot, answering their questions and advising them based on your experiences as a Disabled cyclist.
These questions may cover what it’s like cycling on the road, how to get involved in local cycle groups, good places to cycle in and around the city, and where they can look for further information. You would not be expected to have all of the answers, but we would ask you to have an awareness of and be able to refer people to the resources on the Wheels for Wellbeing website.
This would be an online role, in which you would offer and arrange 3 calls – either by phone or online (e.g. email, Zoom, social media) – to each of the hirers you’re matched with. You would be required to record notes about your calls and share summaries of these with your supervisor and the project team as appropriate.
We would also ask for you to provide feedback on your experiences as part of the evaluation of the pilot. This information will help us decide how Peer Mentors fit in as part of the inclusive cycle hire scheme in the longer term (the pilot will run until the end of May, but we expect for the scheme to continue beyond that).
We expect for each Peer Mentor to have 1-3 hirers to support and provide guidance to.
APPLICATION PROCESS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
If you would like to apply to become a Peer Mentor, then please download and complete the following 2 forms:
If you have any queries, then please contact our Project Lead by emailing janet@wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk (NB: Janet’s working days are Wednesday to Friday) or by calling the office on 020 7346 8482.
We carry out standard recruitment procedures for all volunteers, in line with our Equal Opportunities Policy. Throughout your time volunteering for us, we guarantee to ensure equality.
