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PoP16

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Started 8 years ago by chdot
Latest reply from HankChief

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chdot
Admin

After the annual bouts of armwrestling in smoke filled rooms it seems that CEC has agreed that Edinburgh's greatest cycling event can take place on just another Saturday -

April 23rd. (Birthday of Malcolm IV apparently - Shakespeare and Turner too.)

99% of people reading this will have heard of http://pedalonparliament.org

At least 50% will have been to one or more.

PoP really has changed 'political awareness' of cycling in Scotland. Of course mobilising a large number of people to turn up at Holyrood helps, but many have been motivated to actually write/email councillors and MSPs asking for better facilities - not least to help ScotGov achieve its "aspirations"!

Next year is election year, so many more people/parties hoping to get one of your votes.

PoP just happens.

Thousands of people converge on the Meadows and freewheel down the High Street to listen to speeches from the Parliamentary grassy knoll. (OK some just keep cycling.)

Actually, PoP doesn't just happen.

Behind the scenes is a dedicated cell pulling the strings.

Well not quite. There's a small group of people who do a LOT of work.

In addition there are many people (a lot - but not all - CCEers) who put flyers on bikes, put posters on poles AND take them down afterwards.

On the day, there are Marshalls - the easiest job is litter picking! (PoPers are so well behaved.)

SO what can YOU do?

Put the date in your diary. (Try to keep the morning 'free'!)

Tell your friends.

Tell your colleagues.

Offer to hand out flyers/posters (April).

Think about organising/taking part in a feeder ride. Previously there have been ones from Leith, Porty, Harrison Park, Fife and more. Riders also come from places including Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Posted 8 years ago #
wingpig
Member

Booked.

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Sign up here if you want to get more involved with Pedal on Parliament."

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

OF COURSE

People are also encouraged to walk from The Meadows to Holyrood, so having a bike (or even being able to ride one) isn't essential.

Posted 8 years ago #
fimm
Member

WOOHOO!!!!
I've twice not been able to take part in PoP because it has been on the same day as the "Highland Fling" ultramarathon, and Boyfriend of Fimm is running it again next year. But the "Fling" 2016 is on the 30th April!
:-)

Posted 8 years ago #
threefromleith
Member

Noted in the diary!

So, who's joining the Leith feeder ride in 2016? ;-)

Posted 8 years ago #
DaveC
Member

My youngest is already looking forward to it. I'm under instructions to take swiming trunks and towel for the paddling, I will have to be on standby as life guard.

He really enjoyed last year as we met up with Fellow Fifers PaddyIrish and MiniFifeish.

Posted 8 years ago #
Rosie
Member

I've only missed one, when I was incapacitated. A great event.

"My bike, my bike, my kingdom for a bike"

(since it's Shakespeare's birthday).

Posted 8 years ago #
paddyirish
Member

Yep, @DaveC, we will plan to be there and hope that it is as good a day as this year. Maybe even see if MrsPaddy and MicroFifeish (see what you've done there!) can make it too. Wetsuits may be the clothing of choice this year methinks...

Posted 8 years ago #
The Boy
Member

@threefromleith, you can count me as a maybe.

Posted 8 years ago #
sallyhinch
Member

http://pedalonparliament.org/pop-5-eek-save-the-date-april-23rd/

Posted 8 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

Noted in the diary!

I've only made a note of PoP5 in my work calendar, mainly in case anyone else looking at my calendar might be reminded of it. I haven't put it in my own diary because, given the company I keep in bicycular circles, there is no chance whatsoever of me forgetting about it!

I said at PoP4 that next time I really would bring the torpedo. I might just.

Posted 8 years ago #
HankChief
Member

Just tweeted the candidates for my constituency for next year's election, inviting them to PoP and had 2 very quick positive responses.

Happy days...

Posted 8 years ago #
HankChief
Member

So have you all have got #POP16 in your diary for 23rd April?

Great, now we need to start planning to make sure it is in as many other people's calendar as we can.

With the Holyrood election coming up and Westminster cutting spending on cycling we really need to make #POP16 bigger than ever to show that there is growing support for Scotland to invest more in cycle infrastructure and we won't be happy until we get it.

With the nucleus of POP being just a handful of volunteers we need much more help to advertise the event especially in and around Edinburgh so we can maximise the turnout.

It was disheartening to see cyclists heading away from Edinburgh on the morning of #POP15 and the number of people who only heard about us afterwards.

I think it is fair to say that our approach to advertising POP15 was a bit chaotic, sporadic & last minute. We had the flyers but we didn't get to everyone we could / should have.

We'd love to hear from anyone who could help with putting up posters, flyering, stopping people on cyclepaths etc.

Also any ideas for places we haven't advertised but we should?

What would be the most helpful though is someone (or more than one) to plan the promoting to maximise the impact we can have with the offers of help we get. I.e. ensuring that all cyclepaths have posters up.

Could this be you?

Please PM me or email hello {AT} Pedalonparliament.org

Many thanks

Posted 8 years ago #
Darkerside
Member

Can we get some some little website banner jobs to put on blogs?

Posted 8 years ago #
MeepMeep
Member

I know that in previous years we've had leaflets up in the windows of bike shops but what about in general shop windows/noticeboards?

What about 'an advert' in school newsletters?

Places where coffee mornings/meet ups are hosted - e.g. churches?

Noticeboards at work?

There's been general agreement in previous discussions that it's not just those already cycling who we need to target, the arguably most overlooked demographic is those who would like to cycle but currently feel unable to.

Posted 8 years ago #
wingpig
Member

I pseudolaminated some handlebar flyers with that map-covering film and stuck them on pedestrian crossing button-poles for catching non-cyclists.

Posted 8 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

There's been general agreement in previous discussions that it's not just those already cycling who we need to target, the arguably most overlooked demographic is those who would like to cycle but currently feel unable to.

Yes! Now, how to turn this into an appealing poster / t-shirt visual targeting that group...

Posted 8 years ago #
shuggiet
Member

@meepmeep.. Exactly the type of demographic that we'd really like to get to.. chdot had creative ideas today about articles in Scottish Field and other non-cycling magazines. We've struggled in the past to find a way to do that. Leaflets in non cycling shop windows is a great way too, and has been limited by the number of people willing to do the walking round and persuading shopkeepers. If we get more people to respond to Hankchiefs message above, then we can pull it off this year.. Oh and of course with kaputniks' magnificent graphics , it gives us a great start.

Posted 8 years ago #
biketrain
Member

@Darkside great idea. Do you think we could get an email signature made up with the Logo, URL and date of POP16. Then we would get publicity every time we sent an email.
Is this where we call on kaputniks' magnificent graphics?

Posted 8 years ago #
Stickman
Member

Hate to indulge in corporate jargon, but is there an "elevator pitch" for PoP? May even need two: one for the overall aims and one for what happens on the day.

Posted 8 years ago #
fimm
Member

Somebody had to google it...
An elevator pitch ... is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a process, product, service, organization, or event

Posted 8 years ago #
sallyhinch
Member

When I did the Sheila McKechnie Trust training for campaigners, I did develop an elevator pitch for POP but it was clearly so memorable that I have now forgotten it. The opening of the manifesto is probably the best starting point - or indeed the paragraph on our front page:

"Cycling should be the obvious solution for many of Scotland’s ills – as we have long said in our manifesto. Report after report after report has shown that cycling improves people’s health, cuts congestion, reduces pollution, boosts the economy, and generally provides returns on investment unparalleled by any other form of transport. But these benefits won’t come about just through a bit of training and encouragement. All the research shows that most people won’t cycle unless they have the conditions to do it in that are safe and, just as importantly, in which they feel safe – especially if they have a family. That takes real and sustained investment."

In fact, I'd be grateful if you would all look at the website & let us know what it doesn't say that it should (or does say that it shouldn't) - it's long overdue to be switched over into forward-looking mode for POP5

Posted 8 years ago #
Stickman
Member

As a starter-for-10:

PoP is an inclusive, family-friendly mass bike ride on closed roads to show to politicians the popular support for increased funding to create safe, accessible cycle infrastructure across Scotland

Posted 8 years ago #
sallyhinch
Member

Yup, I think that covers most of it!

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"for catching non-cyclists"

Difficult but IMPORTANT.

Also those with no desire to cycle

Need to punt "pedestrian on parliament" too.

Presume PoP is also getting plugged by non-cycling orgs,

These are the orgs joined up for campaigning about Holyrood Park - mostly not to do with 'cycling'.

"

The charities making the call include RNIB Scotland, Guide Dogs Scotland, Age Scotland, Sustrans Scotland, Spokes, Paths for All, Living Streets Edinburgh, Living Streets Scotland, Transform Scotland, and Ramblers Scotland.

"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-34935616

I hope PoP gets mentioned by these on various web sites.

Posted 8 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Also some or all of these -

http://www.scotlink.org/about/link-member-organisations

Posted 8 years ago #
HankChief
Member

OT:

In preparation for POP16 I thought I would give my POP2 inspired Panda mascot a trip in the washing machine.

Being a data nerd, I thought I would see what it had got up to.

In nearly 3 years, it has been on the road for 538 days and has done 5,353 miles (+ another 2,000 miles on the roof rack).

Not bad for the wee fella - has come up pretty well.

Dirty Panda

Clean Panda

Posted 8 years ago #
gembo
Member

What wash cycle was that looks pristine panda now?

Posted 8 years ago #
Claire
Member

Hi folks, I would be delighted to help spread the word, but am absolutely jam packed with stuff at the moment. Hoping things will be a bit freer after March and I can pick up some leaflets and posters to distribute.

I am planning a feeder ride to PoP; last year we did one from Roseburn Park and had 30 or 40 attendees. This year I think it might be worth starting from St Margarets Park in Corstorphine and meeting up at Roseburn Park. Will get this sorted soon, hopefully. Stickman has already expressed interest in helping to co-lead. If anyone else would like to lend a hand all help is gratefully received!

Posted 8 years ago #

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