Pecha Caka – sharing cake and stories with the Women’s Cycle Forum Scotland

Thursday 15th June, Ukrainian Club, Edinburgh – Edinburgh Festival of Cycling. Workshop 5-6pm; main event 7-9pm

Scotland is full of women doing interesting things in and around cycling. We know this from our Women in Cycling interviews, our Facebook group, and from all the awesome women we’ve met in our travels around Scotland. But where are they when it comes to conferences and cycling events?

Are you ready to make your voice heard?

Part of the problem, we know, is that organisers do not take issues of diversity seriously enough, and so they don’t try hard enough to get a range of speakers. But we also know that some women don’t put themselves forward, whether because they feel uncomfortable about speaking in public (well, who relishes it?) or because they simply haven’t had the experience.

Come and share, whether it’s your stories or your food

Our Pecha Caka event, part of the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling, is a chance both to hear from all the fab women we’re missing as a result – and for women in cycling to dip their toes into the public speaking waters in a friendly and supportive event. Built around the Pecha Kucha format of short (20 slides of 20 seconds each) talks on a variety of topics, we’ll have a mix of speakers – from women at the top of their game, to those just starting out. We’re asking people to bring cake in lieu of an entry fee because sharing food brings people together and breaks down the barriers between audience and speaker (and also because we really like cake).

To encourage people to give it a go, we’re running an hour-long mini workshop beforehand. This will give participants the chance to practise and hone their presentations or develop a mini Pecha Kucha (just six slides) and – if they want to – sign up to speak that evening.

So please do come along and join us in Edinburgh on the 15th June. The workshop will run from 5pm-6pm and the main event is at 7. You can come to the workshop even if you’re not planning to speak in the evening, or if you’re not sure if you can. Or you can just come straight to the Pecha Caka at 7 whether you’re speaking or not. It is free, but please do bring some cake to share (or a suggested donation of £2 if you can’t).  Any surplus will be passed on to a good home.

Book here

Walk, Cycle, Vote with the Women’s Cycle Forum Hustings

In this election year we’re getting political – join us from 6-8 pm on Tuesday 4th April at the Glasgow Women’s Library  for an active travel hustings for the local elections, talking with women politicians from all the major parties. The format will be the same as last year –  we’ll be asking you to rotate between tables of politicians, talking about the issues that matter to you: social justice through transport equity, children able to play out in the street, climate change and carbon reduction, obesity and the inactivity that kills thousands of people in Scotland each year.

We hope that the evening will be an opportunity to get to know female politicians a little better, and hear what each other has to say without the political point making that can happen at mainstream political events. Feedback from last year’s event was really positive – from both politicians and potential voters.

The evening is part of the We Walk, We Cycle, We Vote campaign events – a collaborative partnership of over 40 active travel, environmental, health and children’s organisations focused on engaging with politicians in the run up to the local elections in May. This grassroots campaign is gaining in momentum as it reaches out to people and organisations that want to see the benefits of cycling: a healthier, wealthier and happier nation.

The event is free but you’ll need to book – click here.

Reporting back: our ‘cake summit’

Taking a break from deliberations in the sunshine

On Saturday 21st January, some committee members of the Women’s Cycle Forum Scotland, and a few guests, got together at the Glasgow Bike station for what we loosely called a ‘cake summit’. We wanted to take a step back from our busy lives and  take the time to talk about how we do what we do – particularly campaigning – and how we could do it better and more effectively, and without losing our sanity! Because it was a cake summit we brought cake to share, and then we spent what turned out to be a glorious winter Saturday in a windowless room, setting the world to rights.

The conversation was pretty wide ranging, but at the end of it we had agreed a few key points that we want to share, and also to try and bring into our own campaigning. They’re not particularly ‘women’s’ points – but perhaps they do reflect a wider realisation that if we’re to bring about real change in the world, first we have to change the narrative, change our own perspective, and change the way we work.

Here were the main things which struck the greatest chord with those taking part:

First: we need to find common ground with people who walk, because that’s all of us, and because it’s something people understand much more widely than just cycling. And pedestrians are just as poorly served in many ways as people on bikes. Let’s talk about how we move, not how vehicles move.

Second: we need to change the way we talk about cycling and who we talk to – blanket certainty is offputting and so is picking fights over what appear to be minutiae. On the other hand, narrative does change minds, and so do great visualisations. So we should concentrate our communication on telling stories and using positive images and visions of how things could be different and how that would improve everyone’s lives.

Third: we need to get out from behind our screens and out of our social media bubble and engage with the real world and the wider public. This means we need to do things differently – a bit of tactical urbanism, activities like Parking Day or just going out and talking to people face to face.

Fourth: we need to ensure that people (including ourselves) don’t feel they have to be experts in things like street design and planning matters in order to have their say over how their streets, towns and cities should change. We should concentrate on communicating the bigger vision, of what we want to see, and let the details be worked
out once the vision has been agreed.

Sharing out the goodies we had brought

Finally: just gathering in the same room, sharing food we had made or brought, enjoying each other’s company and making sure we listened to each other, was refreshing and energising in itself. Campaigning is for the long haul, and if we’re to keep going we need to remember to ‘be excellent to each other’ and keep bringing together great people to share great ideas in a friendly, enjoyable atmosphere.

So what’s next? We deliberately didn’t make an action list, other than writing up this brief summary. We hope that over the next 12 months, some of the conclusions above will be reflected in what we do in our various campaigning roles. And, having enjoyed ourselves and found it useful, we might consider running similar events in the future – day or weekend retreats to gather, reflect and share ideas (and cake).

On the Off Chance: Meet us in Perth 18th January

Once again Suzanne and Sally are on their travels – this time to Perth – and hoping to meet up with any cycling women in the area who fancy an hour or so of chat, snacks, beverages and networking. We’ll be at the City Cafe in the Imax Playhouse from 5pm till just before 7

Last time we had a great turnout in Dundee and not only did we get to meet some great cycling women, many of them were meeting each other for the first time and were able to share ideas, contacts, routes and tips about cycling around their area.

So come along and say hello – and who knows who else you may meet …

World Bike Girl – Jan 2017

Join Women’s Cycle Forum Scotland for an evening with World Bike Girl, Ishbel Taromsari. Ishbel has been cycling the world solo for 2 and a half years and has pedalled across 16 countries, documenting her trip along the way.

She’ll be telling us about her incredible journey, from her scariest miles – cycling along Syrian border in 2014 where she was taken to the Syrian Revolution Command Centre – to her hardest miles, which was crossing the Andes mountains from Chile into Bolivia reaching 5000 metres.

Ishbel uses the bicycle as a platform to promote human and animal rights, shining the spotlight on the plight of both animals and people in challenging environments. Before cycling the world she was a velodrome track sprinter for Iranian Women’s Team and a velodrome sprinter for Glasgow Life & a Scottish Institute of Sport Athlete.

The event is free to attend, but we would be grateful for donations towards the costs of the evening.

The events are free but ticketed. Tickets must be reserved via Eventbrite.

Sat 14 January 2017, 19:00 – 20:30
Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh
Eventbrite tickets

Sat 21 January 2017, 19:00 – 21:00
Glasgow Bike Station, 65 Haugh Rd, Glasgow
Eventbrite tickets

On the Off Chance: Meet us in Dundee 29th November

Women’s Cycle Forum Scotland founders Sally Hinchcliffe and Suzanne Forup are on their travels again – and they’d be delighted to meet anyone who’s interested in meeting up in Dundee on Tuesday 29th November (yes, sorry, short notice again). We’ll be at the Innis and Gunn Beer Kitchen from 5pm to 7pm to chat with anyone who wants to find out more about us – or just share stories of cycling in Dundee. Last time we did this in Aberdeen it was a great success, some good contacts were made and a few initiatives (including a possible Belles on Bikes group for the city) may well arise from it.

We’re also going to be at Dundee Gasps for Breath! on the 30th November, organised by Friends of the Earth Tayside so if you’re going to that, please say hello.

Women’s Cycle Forum Meet-up @ Glasgow, Fri 11 Nov

Meet us at Siempre Bicycle Cafe in Glasgow as we join Adventure Syndicate athlete, environmentalist and author Kate Rawles, who cycled from Texas to Alaska following the spine of the Rockies exploring climate change.

• When:  Fri 11 November 2016, 19:00 – 21:00
• Where: Siempre Bicycle Cafe, Glasgow

Kate will share some of the highs and lows of The Carbon Cycle journey and how it evolved into ‘adventure plus’ – using adventurous journeys to raise awareness and inspire action on our major environmental challenges.

Supported by Cycling UK Scotland, this evening is a send off for Kate on her next adventure as she rides from Costa Rica to Cape Horn on a bamboo bike. But it’s also a chance to meet up with women from across the spectrum of cycling – whether you think nothing of crossing continents on two wheels, or whether popping down to the shops by bike is adventure enough.

Event is free. Further info here.

“Cake and Chat” at Cycling Scotland Conference – Mon 7 November

“Cake and Chat” – Monday 7 November – 4pm – Perth

Join us for cake and chat after your Cycling Scotland study tour to find out more about what we do and what we can all do to make cycling more diverse and inclusive at every level.

You can also join if you are not attending the conference. This is a wee informal get together for those interested in finding out more about the Women’s Cycle Forum.

Where: at the cafe in the foyer, Perth Concert Hall, Perth (Mill Street, Perth PH1 5HZ)

Further info about the conference:
http://www.cyclingscotlandconference.org/event/study-tours/

Hello Aberdeen!

Great night at the Women's Cycle Forum Scotland meet up in Aberdeen! #womenbike pic.twitter.com/GmTB4HnSWk

— Suzanne Forup (@backonmybike) October 4, 2016

Despite very short notice – we were delighted to meet half a dozen of the cycling women of Aberdeen yesterday evening.

Thank you to everyone who turned up – some good conversations were had and good connections made. Cycling in Aberdeen is not for the faint hearted (if our brief exploration is anything to go by) but it was good to see plenty of women out there on bikes.

We’ll definitely be popping up elsewhere in Scotland when and where we can – watch this space

On the Off Chance: Meet us in Aberdeen

Women’s Cycle Forum Scotland founders Suzanne Forup and Sally Hinchcliffe will be in Aberdeen on Tuesday 4th October and would be delighted to meet any women involved in cycling (in any capacity – including simply riding a bike). If you’re up for coffee, chat, and a bite to eat, join us at the Foodstory Cafe (map) between 5 and 7pm. A chance to find out more about what we do, meet other cycling women in Aberdeen (assuming you don’t all know each other anyway) and let us know what you think the WCFS should be doing. You can even join up!

Hoping to see you there …