Bike Club:
Opening cycling to new audiences
By Kevin Mayne
Bike Club
• What is Bike Club? – context, method and
delivery
• Engaging with hard to reach groups
• Ensuring all young people have access to
cycling
• Empowering groups to run their own activities
Why?
• Project Aims:
– Cycling opportunities out of school hours
– Increase cycling for health, transport, leisure and
social mobility
– Create access to a range of cycling activities to
diverse and hard to reach young people
– Cycling as a tool to engage young people
– Offer access to accreditation, training and skills
development
– Create sustainable cycling groups
Who?
• Young people
– Ages 10-25yrs
– Those that lacking
opportunity to cycle
– At risk – inactivity,
isolation, crime,
unemployment
– Hard to reach
communities.
• Families
• Mothers
• Carers
Where?
• Charities
• Community/Voluntary
organisations
• Youth clubs, Scouts
• Cycle groups
• Higher Education Institutions
• Schools
– Mainstream primary and
secondary
– Special Educational Needs
(SEN)
– Emotional & Behavioural
Difficulties (EBD)
– Supplementary schools
Bike Club: The beginning
• Bike Club Consortium partners
– CTC: Cycling Expertise
– UK Youth: Youth work and accreditation
– ContinYou: ‘Extended’ learning methods
• Funders:
– Department for Transport
– Asda Foundation (Walmart)
CTC Behaviour Change :
Try it, you might like it”
Proven process: Bike Club (youth), Cycle Champions (health),
CycleXtra (Leisure/Family), Workplace Challenge
(commuters)
Engaging Communities:
Networking, launch, promotion, stakeholder engagement,
steering group, experience.
Capacity Building:
Volunteer base, training opportunities, resource and
equipment base.
Creating sustainable groups/communities:
Affiliated groups, attracting new members, ownership,
regular activities, local profile.
CTC Bike Club Model
• Consortium skills:
– Cycling, Young people, Extended learning
• Delivery:
– Small grants, Regional Development Officers
• Accredited Learning: Youth Achievement Awards
• Targeted training: Off road, on road, specialists
• Technical support: health and safety
• Results:
– Nearly 300 Bike Clubs, 25000 young people
Varied Activities….
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BMX
Cycling tour/Camping
Promotions event
Inclusive Cycling
Racing
Cycle Training – Road/Off
road
• Family Rides
• Duke of Edinburgh
Expeditions
• Bike Recycling
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•
•
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Mountain Biking
Bike Maintenance
Cycling Campaigns
Film Projects
Art Projects
Unicycling
Bike Mechanics
Cycling Events
Social Enterprise
Varied Activities
Family ride
Not completed
Multiple
Other
Expedition/Trip
Accessible cycling
Media Project
Arts Project
BMX
Event
Maintenance
Led rides
On road
Bikeability/Cycle Training
Mountain Biking
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
No. participants
3000
3500
4000
What works?
• Flexibility – regularity, size, activity, minimal
administration, made easy, cultural (clothing,
language)
• Confidence – encouragement, Officer support
(health and safety, access to equipment, volunteers,
project planning), celebration
• Meet host organisation outcomes – health, skills,
leadership, training, employability, community,
independence, social etc
• Training – young leaders, cycling skills, professional
development, enjoyable
What works: Sustainability
through empowerment
• Consultation – Young people driven, parents/guardians
(remove barriers/participate)
• Leadership – Support, cover, replacement, young leaders
• Delivery – confidence building, career enrichment,
contingency, support
• Training – appropriate course, cycling expertise, health and
safety, youth work
• Value for money – in-kind funding, volunteers
• Finances – income opportunities, enterprise, officer support
seeking new funds, grant applications, fundraising events
Case Study: Furze Down Special
School Bike Club
• Special Educational Needs – range of
learning and physical disabilities
• Ages 13-19
• Rural community
• Low achievement of qualifications, access to
employment, dependent on taxi
Example: Success
• Flexibility: As alternative curriculum, variety of activities, at
own pace
• Confidence: 3 staff work together, enjoyment, support
purchase of bikes and risk assessment
• Meeting Outcomes: social, accreditation, independence,
skills, staff enrichment, celebrate (award winners, Parliament
visit)
• Training: Off road, On road (Bikeability), cycle maintenance
• Sustainability: staff trained, school commitment, match
funding raised, maintenance of bikes.
Enjoyment!
Summary
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•
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What is Bike Club? – context, method and delivery
Engaging with hard to reach groups
Ensuring all young people have access to cycling
Empowering groups to run their own activities
Thank You
www.bikeclub.org.uk