Justin Flynn
A group of Northern Bellarine cyclists are riding ‘alongside’ a British teenager to support her quest for climate change awareness.
The Bellarine Belles meet every Friday for a social ride, but were encouraged to support a 16-year-old Briton, Jessie Stevens, who is riding 917km from Devon to Glasgow in the UK.
Jessie started riding on October 20 and finished at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow on October 31.
The group, which ranges from 10 to 20 riders, has already ‘virtually’ ridden from Devon to Glasgow and back.
Annie Proctor said the Bellarine Belles were encouraging women to get back into cycling.
Most members are from Portarlington, St Leonards and Indented Head, but some come from Ocean Grove and new members are always welcome.
“We teach them about gears and looking after the bike but mostly it’s social,” she said.
“We go for 20km to 30km and always end up in a cafe. It’s been a great confidence booster and we’ve made lots of friends.”
Jessie has been appreciative of the Belles’ support.
“We’ve been chatting to and fro,” Annie said.
“Just to show support and let her know there are people in Australia that feel just as strongly as she does.
“At one point our prime minister wasn’t going to go to Glasgow so we thought we’d go.
“It’s a great way of making friends and this has given us a challenge. We wanted to support people who were fighting climate change because it’s getting too late.”
You can see more about Jessie’s journey at peoplepeddlepower.wordpress.com and find out about the Bellarine Belles on their Facebook page.
