Get to know rickshaws in theory and practice

On the rickshaw, get going: After an intensive week of training, in which Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung , in support with Radeln ohne Alter Deutschland e.V., familiarised all thirteen new Upper Franconian rickshaw locations with both the theoretical and practical know-how for using their rickshaws, they can finally get started. The four captain training courses, each lasting one day and taking place between 8 and 11 February 2022, were held at selected rickshaw locations with three to four of the thirteen funded organisations that had applied to Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung as rickshaw locations last year as part of the "Rickshaws for Upper Franconia" funding call. The primary goal of the captain training was to instruct the organisation's internal "captains", i.e. the rickshaw managers of the respective locations. In addition to driver training and safe handling of passengers, the programme also included technical aspects and an explanation of the rickshaw itself. This means that all locations are now ready to put their rickshaws on the road. Citizens who can imagine volunteering as a rickshaw pilot are invited to contact the respective organisations.

Rickshaw driving has to be learned: locations are trained in theory and practice

Already at the end of September 2021, the Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung selected the thirteen new Upper Franconian rickshaw locations from a total of 28 applicants within the framework of the funding tender "Rickshaws for Upper Franconia", which was initiated with the support of Radeln ohne Alter Deutschland e.V. (Cycling without Age Germany). With the start of the funding at the beginning of this year, the respective locations could not only look forward to receiving their own rickshaw, but also to extensive theoretical and practical instruction on the proper use of the special bicycle. For this purpose, four one-day "captain training courses" took place from 8 to 11 February 2022, each of which brought together three to four of the thirteen funded organisations at selected rickshaw locations:

• Participants of the captain training at the rickshaw site of the Caritsverband für Stadt und Landkreis Hof e.V. on 08.02.2022 in Hof: Große Kreisstadt Selb, alt&weise gGmbH, Caritasverband für Stadt und Landkreis Hof e.V.
• Participants of the captain training at the rickshaw site of the AWO Seniorendorf Kirschenallee on 09.02.2022 in Thurnau: BRK Bürgerhospital Kulmbach, Hilfe für das behinderte Kind Bayreuth, AWO Seniorendorf Kirschenallee
• Participants of the captain training at the rickshaw site of the neighbourhood base "Living in the home" on 10.02.2022 in Steinwiesen: ASB Regionalverband Coburg e.V. AWO Multigenerational House/City Makers Coburg, Neighbourhood Support Point "Living in the Home" Altenkunstadt, Neighbourhood Support Point "Living in the Home" Steinwiesen
• Participants of the captain training at the rickshaw site of the Diakonisches Werk Bamberg-Forchheim e.V. - Seniorenzentrum Wilhelm Löhe on 11.02.2022 in Bamberg: Elisabeth Verein Pottenstein e.V., Ebermannstadt Seniors' Advisory Council, Diakoneo Competence Centre Forchheim, Wilhelm Löhe Senior Citizens' Centre

The primary goal of the captain training was to instruct the organisation's internal "captains", i.e. those responsible for the rickshaws at the respective locations. For this purpose, the 39 participants of the captain training completed a driving training and were trained in safe handling of the passengers. There was also an introduction to the technical aspects and the explanation of the rickshaw itself. In addition, topics such as insurance-related aspects and compulsory helmets were also covered. It was particularly important for Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung, which organised the training and carried it out with the support of Radeln ohne Alter Deutschland e.V., to convey the "train the trainer" concept to the organisation's internal "captains". "The aim of our foundation's work is to promote social participation in Upper Franconia in a sustainable way! For this reason, we attached great importance to training the participants in the use of the rickshaw so that they will be able to independently conduct training for pilots in the future, in order to be able to train as many drivers as possible for their location," says Tina Beeg, the foundation's social affairs officer. Citizens who can imagine volunteering as a rickshaw pilot are welcome to contact the respective organisations at any time.

"Rickshaws for Upper Franconia" offer mobility-impaired people a new quality of life

The concept behind the initiative "Rickshaws for Upper Franconia" is very simple: socially committed people go on excursions in the surrounding area together with people with limited mobility. What is needed, apart from the helpers needed to organise the implementation, are rickshaw drivers, passengers and, of course, a rickshaw. As simple as the idea sounds, the social impact is huge! People with limited mobility are given the opportunity to interact with other people and the environment and experience themselves as part of society again - social and societal participation is promoted. As a result, they gain a bit more quality of life. The rickshaw excursions with the rickshaw drivers create shared moments of happiness and memories, enable the exchange of life stories and give the passengers the feeling that they can actively shape their everyday lives. Last but not least, this also has an effect on improved health and well-being. The rickshaw tours counteract loneliness and the feeling of being excluded. In order to make the project even better known and to give more senior citizens the opportunity of a rickshaw ride, a rickshaw tour in Upper Franconia is planned for the summer of this year. Information on this will be available in due course at www.raps-stiftung.de.