Charlotte’s Tandems
1190. Kate Reeves
1191. Alex Reeves
Kate and Alex Reeves, from Gloucestershire, set up ‘Charlotte’s Tandems’ to provide free tandem hire across the UK specifically for borrowers with disabilities or special needs to allow them to continue enjoying healthy lifestyles in a fun and safe way.
An enthusiastic cycling family, Kate and Alex realised their daughter Charlotte’s special needs made cycling more difficult as she became older and began using a tandem to enable her to still join in on bike rides. Recognising how much cycling made a difference to Charlotte’s wellbeing, Kate and Alex began sourcing donations of tandem bikes to support other disabled people or those with special needs, launching the charity in their daughter’s name in 2012. ‘Charlotte’s Tandems’ now has a supply of 140 tandem bikes available to hire through the support of 25 volunteer depots across all regions of the UK, lending to approximately 200 people a year.
In a personal letter to Kate and Alex, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“Inspired by Charlotte’s love of cycling, you are bringing the experience of tandems to hundreds of disabled people and those with special needs across the country. Through ‘Charlotte’s Tandems’ you are enabling people to enjoy the many benefits that come from taking bike rides where they live.”
David Drew, MP for Stroud, said:
“Congratulations to Kate and Alex on receiving the Points of Light award. Charlotte’s Tandems is a fantastic charity which makes a real difference to peoples’ lives, enabling them to enjoy cycling and all its health and wellbeing benefits. I try to cycle whenever I can and know how much I enjoy the freedom of pedal power, so it’s great to see cycling opened up to people with disabilities, their families and friends.”
Kate and Alex said:
“Our Charity is only successful due to the hard work of our very active volunteers, so the award is for all of them, not us. We love riding our bikes and seeing the joy that it gives Charlotte and therefore seeing others riding, when they thought they’d never ride, is fantastic.”
Pictured: Kate and Alex with their daughter Charlotte (middle)