The Bikeability Trust

Charity Number: 1171111

Annual Expenditure: £19.9M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £19.87 million (distributed to cycle training programmes)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Variable (funding requests may take time depending on availability)
  • Grant Range: Individual project grants typically £20,000 - £50,000 (Innovation & Widening Participation Funds)
  • Geographic Focus: England (excluding Greater London)
  • Application Method: Mixed (invitation only for main programme; open application for special funds)

Contact Details

  • Website: bikeabilitytrust.org
  • Email: contactus@bikeabilitytrust.org
  • Grant Enquiries: grants@bikeability.org.uk
  • Innovation Fund: innovationfund@bikeabilitytrust.org
  • Phone: 01223 606027

Overview

The Bikeability Trust (registered charity 1171111) was founded in 2017 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with the mission “to advance the education of the public in general (and particularly amongst children) on the subject of cycling.” With an annual income of approximately £19.87 million (98% from government grants), the Trust coordinates the delivery of Bikeability cycle training across England. The organisation acts as the primary distributor of Active Travel England funding for cycle training, reaching over 505,000 children annually. Chief Executive Emily Cherry leads the organisation with a 23-person staff team, supported by 12 trustees chaired by former Transport Minister Trudy Harrison. In 2025, the Trust launched its ambitious 2035 Strategy, aiming to offer cycle training to every child and reach 1 million people per year by 2035. The Trust won the BikeBiz Cycle Advocacy Award 2024 for its Fleet Cycles project, which provided over 1,000 bicycles to schools.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Main Bikeability Grant Programme: £19+ million annually

  • Distributed primarily to local highway authorities (LHAs) across England
  • Funding supports Level 1, 2, and 3 Bikeability cycle training
  • Application Method: Allocation-based (not open application)
  • Recipients can run training themselves or appoint registered training providers

Widening Participation Fund: £1.4 - £1.6 million per funding round

  • Supports projects targeting underrepresented groups
  • Individual grants: Estimated £20,000 - £50,000 per project
  • 44 projects funded in most recent round
  • Application Method: Open application when funding rounds announced
  • Must use qualified Bikeability instructors

Innovation Fund: Amount varies

  • Funded through the Trust's charitable income (beyond government grants)
  • Supports innovative approaches to cycling education
  • Application Method: Contact innovationfund@bikeabilitytrust.org

Fleet Cycles Initiative: In-kind support

  • Provides bicycles to schools and training providers
  • Over 1,124 cycles distributed
  • Used over 16,000 times between April 2023 and May 2024

Priority Areas

Primary Focus Areas:

  • Children who lack access to bicycles (1 in 4 children aged 5-10 in the UK)
  • Teenage girls (significantly less likely to access cycle training)
  • Children from ethnic minority backgrounds
  • Older children and young people in alternative education settings
  • Children living in areas of deprivation
  • Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
  • Families and adults (expanding focus under 2035 Strategy)

Programme Priorities:

  • Quality cycle training that builds confidence and competence
  • Projects that remove barriers to participation
  • Innovative delivery methods for underserved communities
  • Integration of cycling into school curricula
  • Partnerships with schools, pupil referral units, and community organisations
  • Building cycling as “the norm for short journeys”

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects outside England (Greater London has separate funding through Transport for London)
  • Projects not using qualified Bikeability instructors
  • General fundraising appeals
  • Projects without clear focus on cycle training/education
  • Retrospective funding
  • Capital projects unrelated to cycle training delivery
  • Organisations not registered with The Bikeability Trust
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Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

  • Emily Cherry, Chief Executive: Over 25 years in the children's sector, including senior roles at NSPCC, Children's Society, and Barnardo's. Appointed 2020. On her appointment: "Cycling will be a significant part of the country's path to recovery from COVID-19, and we must ensure delivery retains its focus on safety and quality." On children's access: "It's not that children don't want to cycle anymore... one in four children aged 5-10 in the UK lack access to their own bicycle."
  • Benjamin Smith, Director of Development
  • Sue Brown, Director of Finance and Compliance
  • Kieron McNab, Director of Training and Quality
  • Laura Fleming, Director of Strategy

Board of Trustees (12 members)

Trudy Harrison, Chair: Former MP for Copeland and Transport Minister who played a pivotal role in creating Active Travel England. On her appointment: “Enabling more people to walk, wheel and cycle safely has been a major focus throughout my career, and I am delighted to take on the role as chair at the Bikeability Trust. Supporting children and families to develop the confidence to cycle is critical in creating a healthier future for Britain.”

John Jackson, Vice Chair: Business consultant with Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, National Standard Instructor who delivers Bikeability courses

Dr Catherine Purcell, Vice Chair: Reader at Cardiff University, research focuses on perception and action in natural contexts with particular interest in neurodiversity

Imran Hussain: Youth worker with 20+ years experience, BAME cycling advocate, Bikeability instructor and British Cycling Ride Leader

Lee Kidger: Mobility and cycling industry consultant, former Managing Director at Raleigh UK

Gordon Read: Bikeability Coordinator and Senior PE Advisor, former Head of PE, passionate about cycling as societal solution

Paul Murray: Active Travel Lead at Ridge and Partners, 10+ years in highways engineering

Shirley McIndoe (previously Moffat): Public sector property professional, worked at Transport for London

Nick Truran: Strategic Cycling Lead in local government, cycle instructor since 2003

Christine Phillips: Marketing and Communications Director, background in broadcasting and charity communications

Esther Durrant: Trainer consultant, background in children's care and counselling

Sivanayaki Sanmugarajah: Trustee

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Bikeability Trust operates different application processes for different funding streams:

Main Bikeability Programme (Local Authority Funding):

  • No open application process
  • Funding allocated directly to local highway authorities by Active Travel England via the Trust
  • Local authorities manage distribution within their areas
  • Contact grants@bikeability.org.uk if you're a local authority not currently receiving funding

Widening Participation Fund:

  • Open application when funding rounds are announced
  • No fixed annual schedule - applications announced periodically
  • Must be an organisation based in England
  • Must use qualified Bikeability instructors (Trust can help locate instructors)
  • Suitable for schools, charities, community organisations, PRUs, and training providers
  • Previous round deadline example: 5pm on 29 October 2021
  • Check website regularly for announcements: bikeability.org.uk/about/funding-and-delivery/widening-participation-fund/

Innovation Fund:

  • Contact innovationfund@bikeabilitytrust.org for current opportunities
  • Governed by board of trustees
  • Funded through Trust's own charitable income
  • No fixed application windows

Fleet Cycles:

  • Bicycles provided through training provider network
  • Contact the Trust to discuss access to fleet cycles for your programme

Application Requirements

For Widening Participation and Innovation Funds:

  • Project must demonstrate innovative, creative, and inclusive approach
  • Clear target beneficiaries from underserved groups
  • Use of qualified Bikeability instructors
  • Based in England
  • Previous successful applications included detailed project plans showing how barriers to cycling would be removed

Decision Timeline

  • Main programme allocations: Annual cycle aligned with Active Travel England funding
  • Widening Participation Fund: Decisions made within funding round timelines (specific timeframes not publicly disclosed)
  • Additional funding requests via Link system: “May stay active for some time before being approved or declined” depending on availability
  • Applicants receive email confirmation of claims and notification when approved and when payment is made

Success Rates

  • Widening Participation Fund 2022: 44 projects funded from £1.6 million fund
  • Specific success rates (applications received vs. funded) not publicly disclosed
  • High competition expected given significant demand and limited funding windows

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication restrictions found. Projects demonstrating innovation and reaching target beneficiaries encouraged to apply when funding rounds open.

Application Success Factors

What the Trust Values

Focus on Underserved Groups: The Trust specifically targets children who are less likely to access Bikeability than their peers. Successful projects must demonstrate clear focus on teenage girls, ethnic minorities, children in deprived areas, older children, or those with SEND.

Innovation and Creativity: Emily Cherry emphasizes: "We've gone through this big period of transformation. So now it's time for us to think longer term—what are the big issues that prevent more children and families from taking up cycling?" Applications should propose innovative solutions to barriers.

Measurable Outcomes: Successful projects track confidence levels (e.g., 72% of Widening Participation Fund participants felt “fairly or very confident” cycling after training, compared to 36% before).

Use of Qualified Instructors: Non-negotiable requirement. Projects must use Bikeability-registered instructors to ensure quality and safety standards.

Addressing Specific Barriers: Successful projects identify and address concrete barriers:

  • Lack of bicycle access (Breaking Cycles, Fleet Cycles initiative)
  • Cultural barriers for specific groups (Active Together's work in deprived areas)
  • Age-appropriate approaches (teenage-focused projects)
  • Integration with education (Breaking Cycles' work in PRUs)

Examples of Funded Projects

Breaking Cycles CIC, Clitheroe: Received funding to introduce cycling into pupil referral unit curricula, helping older teenagers learn to cycle through alternative curriculum resources wrapped around Level 3 delivery.

Active Together, Leicestershire: Used a “Bikeability bus” to reach children in deprived areas, bringing cycles and training directly to communities.

St John's Primary School, Newcastle: Created school cycling clubs, purchased bikes for school use, and trained teachers as instructors.

Bright Futures, South Shields: Worked with girls and young women to address barriers to cycling, combining skills training with bike maintenance education.

RISE, Sunderland: Created a learning centre for cycling in a public park to deliver Bikeability to groups not accessing training in deprived communities.

Strategic Alignment

Projects should align with the Trust's 2035 Strategy priorities:

  • Ensuring every child can access cycle training
  • Building confidence for independent travel
  • Making cycling “the norm for short journeys”
  • Expanding to families and adults

Chair Trudy Harrison's priorities include “extending reach particularly to children with special educational needs and disabilities and those from low-income families.”

Common Success Factors

  • Partnership approaches (working with schools, local authorities, community organisations)
  • Bespoke delivery adapted to target group needs
  • Combination of training with bicycle access solutions
  • Clear evaluation plans tracking confidence and participation
  • Sustainable models that can continue beyond initial funding
  • Integration with existing programmes and infrastructure

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Focus your application on specific underserved groups - teenage girls, ethnic minorities, deprived communities, SEND, or older children who have missed training opportunities. Generic applications will not compete with targeted interventions.
  • Innovation is essential for special funds - the Trust seeks creative solutions to barriers, not standard delivery. Show how your approach differs and why it will work for your target group.
  • Qualified instructors are mandatory - ensure your project plan includes use of Bikeability-registered instructors. The Trust can help you locate instructors if needed.
  • Provide bicycles where access is a barrier - with 1 in 4 children lacking cycle access, projects combining training with bike provision (purchase, loan schemes, or school fleets) align strongly with Trust priorities.
  • Monitor funding round announcements closely - application windows are not on fixed annual schedules. Check the website regularly and sign up for updates to avoid missing opportunities.
  • Demonstrate measurable impact on confidence - successful projects show clear before/after metrics on children's cycling confidence and competence. Build evaluation into your project design.
  • Align with the 2035 Strategy - show how your project contributes to the goal of offering cycle training to every child and making cycling the norm for short journeys.

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