The inaugural Perth Laverton Cycling Classic covered over 1100km’s in 7 days and crossed spectacular country in full spring bloom.

The 8 riders, being aptly supporter by Mark at Outback Camp Tours, included 6 senior riders & 2 elite Veris Racing athletes, met with local aboriginal elders along the route and learned stories of lore and culture whilst raising funds for a Laverton Cycling Project (LCP).

The LCP seeks to mentor aboriginal youths, children & adults around multiple facets relevant to cycling. Key focus areas include bicycle maintenance, exercise fitness, social group training, exercise for mental health and well being and the development of a longer term sustainable cycling program operated by local champions.

This year funds raised from the Perth Laverton Cycling Classic, Veris LTD, Veris Racing athletes and a generous donation from the SMEC Foundation enabled the completion of a cycling program extending on from the Hope2Day Project Recycle program held in 2018. This years program was delivered with the assistance of Dismantle and again taught youths how to dismantle and rebuild two bike’s, one for their own keeping and another for a charitable purpose.

Alongside the bike building program Veris Racing staff and members of SMEC assisted youths in maintaining existing bikes and running informal training sessions aimed at improving fitness, well being and cycling as a form of social enjoyment. This program forms part of a larger longer term strategy that seeks to employ local individuals to run weekly cycling programs in the Laverton area for youths and adults alike. Cycling is seen as a means of exercise, transportation, and enjoyment that can have huge benefits to health and well-being.

Key performance outcomes have been identified as follows:

Participation in mechanical tasks and mentoring conversations will lead to
1. Increased self-efficacy and confidence in acquiring manual skills
2. Increased social and emotional intelligence in social skills areas.
3. Increased goal setting for education and future vocational pathways

This program provided the following outcomes:

1. Young people completed 12 full bike restorations.
2. Mentors led discussions about bike maintenance and how to use the resource in their
community to maintain their bike rather than throwing them away.
3. Young people gained skills in problem solving and applying this to bike mechanics and
everyday life.
4. Young people had conversations about their future plans and discussed with mentors how
they can achieve those goals, pertaining to maintenance and fitness

Outcomes that have been identified during the program show:

• Improved school attendance
• Increased engagement in the school community
• Improved engagement in Education (classroom behaviours and work attitudes).
• Improved Social skills

Some measurable metrics from previous programs involved the following:

• 100% participants completed the course
• Attendance rates averaged 100%
• All participants (100%) completed a bike for a charity
• All participants wanted to complete a second
bike for charity (instead of a bike for themselves)
• 30% participants would like to return as
a ‘Bike Buddy’ on future programs
• 30% participants are now actively engaged in other
youth/community or mental health services that they were
previously not engaged with prior to the program

Our major fundraising vehicle for this program is the Perth Laverton Cycling Classic 2020 which will again be held in September

The ride is limited to 10 participants. We look forward to you being part of this incredible cultural and community experience as well as being the challenge of a lifetime. Training starts soon, we would welcome your participation.