Background

Ride Alongside’s inaugural event commenced in 2017 and was a five day, 450 kilometre trek starting from Northam and finishing in Albany. Ride Alongside visited Wheatbelt and Great Southern communities including York, Beverley, Brookton, Pingelly, Narrogin, Wagin, Katanning, Tambellup, Cranbrook and Mount Barker. Six riders completed the entire 450 kilometre ride and a further six riders participated, each riding the course for one to two days duration.

In 2019, 12 adventurous cyclists rode 500 kilometres from Bunbury to Denmark, visiting the communities of Donnybrook, Boyup Brook, Kojonup, Katanning, Gnowangerup, Tambellup, Cranbrook and Mount Barker. The contingent included five returning riders from 2017, seven first time participants and a dedicated group of support volunteers who helped with all event preparation & logistics.

Ride Alongside accompanied by event charity partners, Silence of Sirens Charity Inc. reached out to many in regional communities to promote mental health awareness, discuss mental wellbeing and also demonstrate the link between positive physical health and good mental health. Riders met both current serving and former emergency services members who had previously experienced dark times because of their work.

Thorough planning and logistics for the both Ride Alongside events ensured they were accident free and all riders arrived safely at the end destinations.

The Ride Alongside message was also promoted by online community Facebook groups and organisations in the towns visited, by local government authorities and Members of Parliament, local print media in Perth and regional WA, on radio with live on-air guest segments on ABC and Spirit Radio and television on GWN7 News.

Ride Alongside also received coverage in a number of articles in the WA Police Union members magazine ‘Police News’ and on Twitter through posts to individual country police station pages.