Alanagh Godderidge is Helping the Community, One Trishaw at a Time
10/06/2024
Congratulations to the winner of the 2024 Excellence in Volunteer Management Award, Alanagh Godderidge.
Alanagh is the founder and CEO of Motion by the Ocean, a community organisation in Perth’s northern suburbs. The charity provides two programs - Cycling Without Age Sorrento and Moving Food, a food delivery service. Both programs address important aspects of seniors' and vulnerable individuals' lives, promoting their well-being and quality of life.
Cycling Without Age Sorrento provides free trishaw rides for senior citizens and people with disabilities along Perth’s northern coast. Cycling Without Age Sorrento operates free daily rides along the coast, piloted by volunteer cyclists, providing passengers with access to the fresh coastal air, stunning views, and social interaction. Since the organisation began, rides have been supplied every day of the week and has given almost 7000 passengers with rides, cycling over 52,000 passenger kilometres since 2018.
“Motion by the Ocean Inc was formed to support a local initiative I started in 2017, called Cycling Without Age Sorrento,” said Alanagh, “I left my day job around this time to manage a difficult family situation. Spending a lot of time at home and at medical appointments, I realised I was withdrawing from my friends, family and my community.
“My light bulb moment occurred after watching a YouTube video of a young Scotsman taking a couple of seniors out on a Trishaw ride. Knowing our wide shared path along the coast would be ideal for this service, I decided to contribute my time in a way that suited my existing commitments. Discovering the movement - Cycling Without Age (Denmark), I piggybacked from their knowledge and started the state’s first free Trishaw service, Cycling Without Age Sorrento.”
Alanagh has been the driving force behind Motion by the Ocean, coordinating a small army of volunteers from different sectors of the community to successfully run the charity. “Being a Volunteering WA member has allowed us to have success with the recruitment of professional volunteers and at the same time has allowed for greater awareness of our work,” said Alanagh.
As founder and CEO of Motion by the Ocean, Alanagh goes above and beyond for her volunteers and for the organisation. Her many responsibilities include piloting the trishaws, strategic planning, food hamper deliveries, event management, booking coordination and volunteer management. Many of her volunteers have been with the organisation since it first began in 2018, which is a testament to Alanagh’s skills as volunteer manager. Volunteers commend her on her empathy, exceptional organisation, and interpersonal skills.
When asked about her volunteer management style, Alanagh said she values a ‘bottom-up’ approach. “I am lead by my volunteers. It’s important they are heard and have a voice in the day-to-day decisions that directly impact them. To enable good outcomes from these suggestions, I surround myself with gracious people, those who have strong skill sets in their chosen field. I very much value the sharing the knowledge. This has allowed me to meet people from all over the world, who too wish for a strong community in which they live.” said Alanagh.
2023 was an impressive year for Alanagh and Motion by the Ocean. The team engaged 1,820 participants, delivered 11,000 meals, rode 11,476 kilometres, and doubled their rides since 2022. Alanagh also coordinated an event called Art by the Ocean last year, securing funding from the City of Joondalup to collaborate with local artists and raise funding for the charity. The event was a success with 120 people in attendance, $10,000 raised for the charity, and a significant boost in trishaw ride bookings.
“Operationally, we know a daily presence in our community allows for trust and confidence with the community we provide for. Our long-term plan is to systematically replace our fleet of Trishaws. Rather than collecting more Trishaws, we value fully utilising our fleet. Saying that, when our new storage facility is built within the new Sorrento SLSC building, we will be looking at purchasing a Trishaw that can accommodate a supported person in a wheelchair.” said Alanagh.
While a ride along the coast may seem like a simple concept, Motion by the Ocean takes a huge amount of passion and hard work behind the scenes to deliver. Alanagh’s dedication to the cause has helped create an organisation of happy and motivated volunteers and the successful delivery of community services. She is an inspiration to volunteer managers across Western Australia, and we thank her for all she has done.