Its official Wingz BMX has landed in Bristol! Thanks to Lucy, Access Sport’s Bristol BMX Development Manager, and the Ignite Team, disability inclusive BMX has become part of the ever growing inclusive community down in Bristol.

Access Sport have supported the development of two tracks in Bristol, L’Dub BMX Club and Hillfields BMX Club, and it is great to see the tracks being used by Wingz riders, whether that is through outreach with local specialist schools and groups, or within Wingz club sessions that run alongside the mainstream sessions.

Here’s what we have been up to so far;

• We have been working closely with Kingsweston School, a local specialist school supporting students with learning disabilities. We have engaged 24 young people through two successful outreach programmes at the Lawrence Weston BMX Track with a number of young people going on to take part regularly at L’Dub BMX Club!

“It is great to see the youngsters pushed out of their comfort zone, but instead of shying away, taking a deep breath and giving it all they have!” Kingsweston School Teacher

• The Wingz programme has also supported students within mainstream education too, with students with autism taking part in BMX outreach programmes with the Venturers’ Academy

"Our children are autistic, so it is good experience for them to be around new people. We had three who could ride a bike, now we have six." Venturers’ Academy Teacher

• As well as schools, we have been engaging with local youth groups, and the Wingz programme has been working with WECIL Youth Group. We delivered two taster sessions at Hillfields Youth Centre where the majority of young people were either unable to ride a bike or not confident in their ability to cycle, but they were all keen and raring to have a go! In just two sessions, a number of the young people learnt to ride a bike and everyone grew in confidence!

"I really enjoyed it, it was hard to get my feet off the ground but I enjoyed it because I was trying something new. I had never ridden a two-wheeled bike before only a trike." Annie, participant at WECIL Youth Group

• Bristol’s first BMX School Games also saw our first competitive Wingz category with 21 students riding on the day! Congratulations go to KingsWeston for winning the triple on the podium, with students coming in 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd and Raf Judinas for winning the Individual Sportsmanship Award!

  

In June, we also saw the launch of our first regular Bristol Wingz sessions at L’Dub BMX Club. These sessions run alongside the mainstream club sessions every Saturday morning. The Wingz club continues to grow whilst we engage other local schools and groups, supporting more young disabled people into cycling and BMX!

“Wingz BMX has really taken off here in Bristol, it is a great asset to the whole BMX Legacy Programme and it can only get stronger. BMX has been adopted so positively by a number of the local SEN schools, with students gaining the life skill of cycling through the outreach programmes, with many competing in our first BMX School Games.

This is an exciting time for Wingz BMX in Bristol, and I look forward to see what it will achieve in the future.” 

- Lucy, Bristol BMX Development Manager