Cycle Lewes AGM 2023; Exciting ideas and a plea for members to get involved…
Tuesday, 21st November 2023
7.00pm – 9.00pm
Venue: Council Chamber, Lewes Town Hall
Refreshments: available from 6.30pm
Sheila O’Sullivan, Chair and Ian McKay opened proceedings with Sheila deftly presiding over the formalities of the AGM agenda including approval of the previous AGM minutes, CL annual report and the nomination of elected members, Chair (herself though she is hoping to stand down), Treasurer (Andrew Saunders) and Membership Secretary (Jill Goulder). Andrew Saunders presented the annual accounts and took questions from the floor.
The second part of the evening was given over to four excellent speakers:
Steve Pearce, Cycle Lewes Regeneration specialist Steve Pearce reviewed some of the great work over the last year by Cycle Lewes towards improving active travel provision in and around the town including efforts for piloting traffic reduction events like High Street closures with pop-up market stalls.
Adrian Ross, Lewes Town Council
Adrian gave a brief introduction to the recently launched development of a new Movement Strategy for Lewes, which he is championing on behalf of Lewes Town Council.
Both Steve and Adrian took questions from the floor with some excellent suggestions made for taking forward. You can download Steve and Adrian’s combined presentation HERE.
Shane Snow
Cycling advocate Shane, who’s day job is working on HS2, arrived hotfoot from Greenoak Common to give a talk about his ideas for East Sussex Greenways and achievable solutions for connecting Lewes to potential and existing cycle paths out to the surrounding parishes and settlements. The idea is to piece together an east to west and north to south route with Lewes as a kind of fulcrum. Shane brought an exciting vision of how cycle tourism in this area could be supercharged by redirecting the Avenue Verte (London to Paris cycle route) via a far richer selection of cultural attractions and easier gradients than it currently does on the UK leg. Shane left the audience wanting for more and did not manage to show his summary video about his Greenways project but we copy the link HERE.
Shane’s presentation can be downloaded HERE.
Suggestions from an engaged audience ensued with one charge suggesting we get Shane back and present to an audience in Uckfield and invite other parishes too.
Get involved!
The final session of the evening was cut short due to a brimming agenda but Ian McKay managed to give a whistle-stop tour of all the great activity and campaigns pursued by the working groups and individual members of Cycle Lewes. You can see selected slides of that presentation HERE.
Ian gave a big thanks to individual members of Cycle Lewes who’s efforts keep the show on the road including Andrew Saunders - Treasurer, Jill Goulder – Membership Secretary, Nigel Tarling - Committee Meeting Co-Chair and our amazing Chair - Sheila O’ Sullivan who has now been five years in the role.
Ian and Sheila gave an unashamed plug for more Cycle Lewes members to get involved in working groups and/or the CL committee.
If you are interested in doing so, here is a reminder of the groups and activities:
Responding to major planning applications
Input into emerging statutory policy (including the Movement Strategy for Lewes)
Improving cycle parking provision
Traffic reduction projects
Updating the Lewes and region cycle maps*
Bike register pop-up events
Food bank cycle shuttle (next one Sat 9th Dec)
Content for the website
Organising cycle and social events
*A BIG PUSH ON THE LATEST MAPPING PROJECT IS HAPPENING BETWEEN DEC ’23 – APRIL ’24
Volunteers needed to help:
identify signage needs
IT aspects
fundraising
promotion /publicity
contributions to overall development
Finally, although we were unable to ‘workshop’ the questions which were to finish the AGM with an open discussion with the audience, they are presented here:
What would you like to see Cycle Lewes doing more of or start doing?
How can we increase awareness with the wider public of what Cycle Lewes do?
How can we convince more people of the wider benefits of cycling, ie. Reduced environmental impact, mental and physical well-being etc?
With a second season on ‘transport’ at the Lewes Climate Hub proposed for 2024, what thematic ideas should Cycle Lewes be suggesting?
If you are interested in any of the above activity / working groups, attending a committee meeting and/or have a response to make to any of the questions set then please contact: info@cyclelewes.co.uk