Wollongong is the first Bike City in the southern hemisphere, and the region's community organisations are looking for ways to put cycling on the map.
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On Monday a wide array of community groups attended a workshop hosted by Destination Wollongong at the Sage Hotel, to explore their role in helping shape cycling in the region.
Destination Wollongong community partnerships manager Stuart Barnes said many of the groups already used cycling for fundraising or community engagement, and the workshop offered them the chance to see where they could come together.
"What's really exciting is we are now putting some of the groups together," Mr Barnes said.
"As an example, we've had the MS Gong Ride reach out to find an organisation about fully accessible cycling and we've been able to put then in touch with The Disability Trust to examine how their clients and cyclists might get involved with that event.
"Rotary and Southern Youth and Family Services may be able to partner together to repair bikes to give to disadvantaged young people.
"There is some wonderful potential community programs that could come out of this."
The community groups represented are all part of the community partnership program for the UCI Bike City label, which has been bestowed upon Wollongong by the world governing body of cycling.
The community organisations will not only assist in preparing the city for Wollongong 2022, but also contribute to legacy projects associated with the UCI Bike City status.
Wollongong 2022 CEO Stu Taggart gave the community partners an overview of preparations for the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong on September 18-25 next year.
"There is a huge variety of community groups who are coming together," Mr Barnes said.
"We thought it would be a great opportunity for all of these groups to come together, share the projects they are working on and foster co-operation between everyone to achieve the best possible results.
"The Bike City label and the projects that have been identified for it are not just about Wollongong 2022, they are a legacy for our city for the many years to come beyond that."
Ensuring access to essential services for those with disabilities while the race is on was brought up as part of the discussion, with the route and road closures to be released on December 10.
Mr Barnes said Destination Wollongong's community partner program was still open and DW would welcome hearing from any community organisation wishing to get involved.
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