A social enterprise based in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) is offering free cycling outings for riders of all abilities around local parks in a number of boroughs, including Newham, Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets.

As QEOP celebrates a decade since the Paralympics Games, one of the co-founders of the organisation said encouraging and helping people to cycle is important.

Zoe Portlock, the co-founder and co-chief executive of Bikeworks, said: "We originally came up with the idea when London won the hosting rights for the 2012 games.

"We understood that this would be quite a large regeneration programme for the area. But, with the rate [of development] over all those years in the build-up to the 2012 games, we were worried that some people within our communities might not be able to seize hold of those opportunities."

Zoe said: "Over 3,000 people who consider themselves disabled or carers can come and access free cycling. People don't have to know the answers but they can explain what they want to get out of the session and some of the barriers they might perceive to have so our instructors can work to find the right cycle and make any adjustments."

Julia Crick brought her husband, Raymond, to Bikeworks this week.

Newham Recorder: Julia Crick and her husband, RaymondJulia Crick and her husband, Raymond (Image: Archant)

Raymond said: "It's been very useful from the point of view of our mobility problems, not just to come here and enjoy ourselves, but to help us walking on the street at home."

Zoe said: "We look at connectivity between people and the places in their neighbourhood so that people build their confidence in meeting other people locally.

"We often have families come together and it might be the only event where the whole family can get involved and do that with a sense of equality and parity.

"[Our work] is even more important than ever before because the state services and public sector have diminished over this period of time and have left people without any support. We make sure people can get out a couple of times a week, get on the cycle no matter what and actually have some freedom."

Find out more about the free drop-in Bikeworks event schedule at https://www.bikeworks.org.uk/all-ability-clubs/#1635491958154-d9a32443-3e43.