Susanne Jennings
For the past five years, Susanne has been a volunteer ride leader for Sustrans and Breeze, presently leading two or more rides at week for women of all abilities.
Sue volunteers as the Devon & Cornwall Breeze Area Co-ordinator, and her network is consistently one of the best performing nationally. In her role, Sue supports and mentors more than 80 volunteer Breeze Champions, and this year she reached a significant milestone: personally delivered over 250 led rides. This amounts to over 950 volunteer hours, helping women gain confidence and get back on their bikes.
Sue’s nomination reads, “Sue’s passion to get women back on their bikes is infectious and at 71, Sue proves that age is really no barrier. Over the years she has helped many women gain confidence in their cycling and many women have gone on to cycle recreationally or as a commuter, whilst others have taken part in cycling events and holidays. She has passed on her enthusiasm, encouraging more women to become qualified Breeze Champions and this in turn has given them the confidence to inspire other women to get back on their bikes too.
“Off the bike, Sue is co-chair of the Plymouth Cycling Campaign, where the group work closely with key partners to inform infrastructure changes in the city as well as improving cyclist safety and education for road users. Working closely with British Cycling’s head office Sue reports back regularly with ideas and ways to enhance the Breeze programme helping to attract more support and funding for her local network.
“In addition, Sue volunteers as a Sustrans volunteer ranger spending some of her days clearing paths for other cyclist and path users. She has also helped organise competitions in her local area encouraging women to take the ‘next step’ and compete in local races. Sue is viewed as a real advocate for women’s cycling in the city and her determination and passion to get more people active and back on their bikes is truly inspirational.”
