At Softies we’re passionate about ethical sustainability. Our cycling holidays and itineraries have been specially created with the local community in mind. Whenever our clients embark on their holiday, we do our best to ensure a positive impact is left on the region. Read on to learn how.
Local Business
The wonderful regions of France, Italy and the UK that our cycling tours visit are filled to the brim with small local businesses. Run by members of the local community, buying their goods or services leaves a positive impact on your trip. We advise our clients to do this whenever possible. We’re also proud to work with local hotels and restaurants, ensuring our clients are a force for good in these regions and the people who live there.
One example of this practice would be visiting the weekly market for your picnic supplies, instead of the supermarket which is part of a larger chain. Not only are you benefiting the residents of the region, the produce from the stalls are always more delicious and incredibly fresh. For many of the smaller towns and villages you can visit on our cycling tours, the markets are the heartbeat of the community. Supporting them means you’ve also supported the community on the whole.
Respecting the Region
One of the easiest ways to support the local community is to not leave any waste behind. Everything from wrappers and water bottles to banana peels and chewing gum can all contribute to the needless pollution of towns and rural landscapes. Doing something as simple as finding the nearest bin or recycling unit can often be the most important thing to a community, that values their home. When you’re enjoying a leisurely cycle along a canal, you’ll notice the clean waters running next to you. Throwing waste into the canals is incredibly damaging to both the aquatic wildlife and plant life, as well as the communities who live by the canal.
We also advise our clients on appropriate clothing when travelling. In some regions and communities, wearing inappropriate clothing can be seen as very disrespectful. For example, In Italy, you’ll find it is seen as respectful for men and women’s shoulder’s to be covered when visiting the many beautiful churches here. A small act like this is incredibly important to the local community.
World Bicycle Relief
At Cycling for Softies, we believe that bicycles can be an incredible force for good in other regions around the world. Not only are they the greener choice, but thanks to World Bicycle Relief they’re also changing lives. Their work is incredibly important, supporting communities across the world. By providing sturdy Buffalo Bikes to members of these communities, suddenly goods can easily be taken to market, young children can travel to school, and vulnerable individuals have freedom of mobility for the first time.
Softies are proud partners of World Bicycle Relief, donating £5 for every booking made. In 2020, we raised enough money for 80 Buffalo Bikes, which has positively influenced the lives of over 250 people.
Our cycling experts can help advise you further on how to support local communities on your trip. Call 020 7471 7760 to speak to our experts.