Well, it’s been a while!
Training, not training…. Training again! And now finally we are within touching distance of a show.
These kids have worked their hardest with no feedback from a crowd, the reward that makes it all worthwhile. But they’re ready and we have dates in the diary commencing in late August – we CANNOT wait….
We have missed you all so much, check out our socials for dates and places you can catch us and please come and say hi if you do!
It’s been a tough year, even more so for our charities. Our donations come from bookings, and this year we didn’t perform. But there’s no time for dwelling on it, and the kids have decided to take matters in to their own hands!
Last night, some of our Tigers staged a Sleep In! Trying to work around social distancing and the very young ages of our riders limited our options, but to sleep somewhere other than their bed meant all ages could get involved.
From car boots to vans, floors to sofas and even a cardboard house – the kids threw themselves into it and donations have thus far been extremely generous. We know times are hard for everyone right now, so we have been overwhelmed to double our target!
Over £500 raised and you can still donate here: http://Bit.ly/DonateToTigersSleepinFundraiser
We are very proud of these little guys and girls, and we hope this fund for Allegra’s Ambition and Step By Step grows and grows over the season.
Well – it’s been a while!
We hope all our supporters are well and adjusting to the ‘new normal’. We managed to resume training towards the end of the summer and concentrated on having some fun while getting used to adhering to all the new guidelines. Luckily for us, we train outdoors and the nature of our activity involves a natural social distance, so it hasn’t been too challenging to operate effectively.
The kids were thrilled to get back on their bikes and enjoyed the novelty of a summer airfield – we don’t usually train during show season so this was definitely a year of firsts. Although that may make the biting February coastal winds feel ever sharper…
Right now, we are in the transition period between the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Our new committee has been voted in and members are familiarising themselves with their roles. We have said some sad goodbyes to those who are moving on (check out our social media for our celebration of some awesome riders) and look forward to welcoming some new faces.
We have plenty to update you on over the coming months and can’t wait to get started. Our diary is open for 2021 and we will be considering it our 40th year after losing out on the celebrations due to lockdown.
Keep checking in for updates and we hope to see you in the not to distant future!
We find ourselves in extremely challenging times. Times we cannot control, have no experience of, and struggle to predict.
As a club, we held off announcing show bookings once the uncertainty of the Coronavirus outbreak set in. We hoped, both parents and riders, that the predictions weren’t accurate. But now we find ourselves watching the plans we made crumble, just as we know you are too.
We are incredibly sad that our 40th year is not going to be as expected. And we know that times may get tough for us, as a voluntary organisation. But right now, all that matters is our health. All of our health.
So while we accept the fear and sadness that is inevitable, we want to spend the foreseeable future keeping spirits up and bringing some light relief in difficult times. Our social media channels will reflect this, and our team will (remotely!) be looking at 2021 as the new 2020, and our new 40th.
We wish all our supporters the best, that you stay well and in touch with those people and things that you love. And, if we all work together – the party on the other side will be the biggest any of us have ever known.
With that party in mind, our 2021 diary is now officially open – we want to bring you ALL some of the unique joy that this team has been spreading for four decades. Together we are better!
Tigers is a voluntary, community organisation. The club funds it’s basic running costs and expenditure is kept at the bare minimum so that we can maximise our charitable giving. Parents fund their child’s membership, training kit, bikes and fuel, along with all travel to shows. On top of this they give up a HUGE amount of time. We really do rely on this generosity to keep giving to great causes each year. Profit from show bookings forms the majority of our giving, although we often take on other individual fundraising challenges throughout the year.
This has been the Tigers format for a long time now, but we are aware that there are companies or individuals who might like to get involved and show their support, either short or long term.
We are an established organisation, but one thing we maybe haven’t been too good at is publicising ourselves more widely; how we work, and just how much voluntary effort goes in to keeping the show on the road. We ARE getting better at this, and in the last year have grown our social media presence massively. But in a very British way, we don’t really like to show off. However in our 40th season, it feels like if ever there were a time to celebrate the club’s achievements, it is now.
Each year as children join and leave, the team changes. Each year we have parents with different skillsets. Each year we have the opportunity to strengthen the club for future generations. This team belongs to all those over our 40 year history who have helped it grow and maintain the reputation we have today.
So if you have a service or product that you think might help us, we would love to chat. Or if you think we can help you in some way, give us a bell, we love hearing from you.
As is Tigers tradition, our riders choose the charities we will support for the forthcoming season.
Stage 1 of ‘Mission Charity Partners’ sees us ask the team and their families for causes close to their hearts. The only set criteria is they MUST be children’s charities.
Stage 2 is where the kids come in, taking a final vote on the proposed contenders. Democracy in action! We feel strongly that this process gives the children a real sense of ownership and purpose about the season ahead.
We have a lot of young riders this year but they impressed us no end with their very definite views on where to place their votes. We drew some pictures and they quite literally voted with their feet, standing by the picture corresponding to their vote.
And so we can announce, with great excitement, that the 2020 squad has selected to support End Youth Homelessness and Allegra’s Ambition. These two charities are quite distinct, but have in common that they support vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.
We can’t wait to tell you more about them and their fantastic work over the coming months, and will be working hard to raise them as much money as we possibly can.
It’s a busy time of year but we wanted to make sure we thanked you for your continued support.
To the shows who have booked us, the audiences who have cheered us on, the charities that motivate us and of course, our young riders who inspire us every day (they are our kids, after all).
In 2019 we raised a phenomenal £8000 for charity. Our two causes chosen by the kids were Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association and The Children’s Bubbles Fund at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth.
PDSA are in the process of fundraising to renovate their new centre, where they will provide specialist support and education services to young people with Down Syndrome, which they otherwise would not have access to in the community.
The Children’s Bubbles Fund raise cash to make the paediatric unit at the QA Hospital a more comfortable and inviting place for patients. This could range from specialist medical equipment to redecoration or toys and games.
2019 also saw two of our dads complete an epic motorcycle ride to the Morocco and back in aid of Simon Says Child Bereavement Support, a team of Tigers smashing the Great South Run in aid of PDSA and Simon Says, a fundraiser for Oliver’s Fight Against Neuroblastoma and a day of school displays in aid of Wave 105’s Cash for Kids.
In the current season of giving, this part of Tigers life seems the most fitting to celebrate. We love being able to support children’s charities each year and pride ourselves on our sense of community, something the children are fully involved with. In January, the children will vote on our 2020 causes. For our 40th year, we hope to raise more than ever and we couldn’t do that without YOU. So thank you for keeping us roaring!
We wish you all a peaceful, joyous Christmas.
So how DO we roll? Many will know us already but some readers will be full of questions about the team. We are quite used to flabbergasted faces after a show when helmets come off and the age of our riders really hits home. How on earth do we have a 6 year old jumping through fire, or an 11 year old soaring over a car? To be fair, these are very good questions.
Any parent will know that feeling when the apple of their eye takes up an ‘exciting’ new hobby, and protective instinct kicks in! And here is where this club excels. Set up to offer children the opportunity to learn to ride a motorcycle safely, that is exactly what’s been happening since 1980. All those years experience have been passed through the ‘generations’, yet simultaneously evolved with current practice to provide a stable and proven training framework. A bit like the Colonel and his chicken, Tigers benefits from a solid, time-served recipe. Add a sprinkle of patience, leave out the pressure (it’s bad for your health) and we see children flourish. When the kids arrive at training each Sunday, they take their place in an extended family where support is always on hand.
And it’s astonishing, because the only pre-requisite to join us is that a child can ride a push bike without stabilisers. Some may have more riding experience, but our juniors in particular often come in as total blank canvases when it comes to the sport. But boy are they quick learners! Already this season, our rookies are trying out tricks and jumping. And week by week, the foundations of confidence and trust are being laid.
Training is every Sunday, all day, all winter – it takes dedication from everyone to get through these months. Cold fingers and toes, biting winds on the south coast, long days for little people.
But these tiny juniors with their enthusiasm and smiles, will often become the 11 year old jumping a car. Or two cars. Last season, our eldest riders were flying over three or more at a time.
So if we can return to the food analogy for just a minute more, the proof is in the pudding. And the pudding is our confident, polished displays around the country throughout the summer. These kids work their socks off because they care about the club, and have every confidence in their trainers and the team around them. And they deserve all the credit for Tigers’ success, because without their determination and fearlessness all we would have is this lovely new website but nothing to write home about.
Wow! Welcome to our wonderful new website, built for us by the fantastic Rob Francis. Rob recognised the work we do as a non-profit and wanted to help us out. We are immensely grateful to local business for supporting us in this way. Simply put, it means more cash for our chosen charities (more on that subject soon) – everyone’s a winner!
2020 is our 40th year in the business. This landmark achievement is brought to you by four decades of children and parents, giving up their time and money to make the club a renowned name. We (the current parents) are merely here to act as guardians for the club. We know that this responsibility isn’t only to our children, but to those of the next 40 years and hopefully beyond. The club has given so much to so many over the decades, we can’t wait to look back through history and share it with you as we go… So it’s fair to say we look back, but we also look forward. And in celebration of such an impressive record, it felt right to update the website and work hard on our social media – we are really proud of the changes.
And so yes, in some ways we are entering a new era. But we also hold the club’s heritage in high esteem and will keep bringing the crowds what they expect from us – exhilarating displays packed full of fun for all the family. We will keep letting our riders pick and vote on the season’s charitable causes, and work as hard as ever to raise as much as we can for them. If it ain’t broke, and all that…
So for now, grab yourself a cuppa and take a look around the website. Meet the awesome 2020 team, ask us a question, even book us for your event. Pop your details into the contact form and we’ll get right back to you. And then whatever you do stay with us, because in 2020 the Tigers’ roar is going to be louder than ever before.
