COLCHESTER Council's Northern Gateway Sports Park development will offer special cycling sessions for people with disabilities with the help of a life-changing initiative.

The authority has invested in equipment such as adapted bicycles, enabling sessions to be held on the new one-mile floodlit cycle track once it is up and running.

The sessions will be run via the nationally-recognised Wheels for All initiative, which successfully launched in Colchester earlier this year.

Ian Tierney, Wheels for All charity director, said: "We are really excited to be bringing the Wheels for All initiative to Colchester, which will deliver cycling activities to people of all abilities, and will build a regular physical activity offer so that people can cycle using adapted cycles and support packages from volunteers on their terms.

“Such a programme is very much needed for the communities of Colchester and beyond.”

Theresa Higgins, councillor responsible for commercial services, added: "I’ve seen how much it [Wheels for All] means to people who have disabilities. It is an important step to allow all residents access to health and wellbeing activities in Colchester.”

Wheels for All is offering taster days on Monday and Tuesday at Colchester Garrison's Corporal Budd VC Gymnasium.

These will be followed up in the spring with monthly sessions at the Garrison Track.

For more information, call Ian Tierney on 01925 234213 or email ian.tierney@cycling.org.uk.