The Bikeability Trust

Charity Number: 1171111

Annual Expenditure: £1.6M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £19.4 million (2023-24, primarily government passthrough to local authorities)
  • Innovation/WPF Grants: £1.4-1.6 million in recent rounds
  • Individual Grant Range: Up to £75,000 (Widening Participation Fund)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: England (excluding Greater London)

Contact Details

Website: bikeabilitytrust.org / bikeability.org.uk

Email: contactus@bikeabilitytrust.org

Phone: 01223 606027

Grants Enquiries: grants@bikeability.org.uk

Innovation Fund Enquiries: innovationfund@bikeabilitytrust.org

Overview

The Bikeability Trust (Charity No. 1171111) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation established to advance the cycling education of the public, particularly young children. The Trust manages, develops and promotes Bikeability, the UK government's flagship national cycle training programme. While the Trust primarily administers government funding from Active Travel England (distributing to local highway authorities across England), it also operates its own charitable Innovation Fund for pilot projects. The Trust received record funding of £50 million from Active Travel England covering April 2023 to March 2025. During 2023-24, the Trust enabled 505,657 children to receive Bikeability cycle training. The organisation has equipped more than 5 million children since inception and won recognition including the BikeBiz award. The Trust's vision is that everyone has the confidence to cycle and enjoy this skill for life.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Widening Participation Fund (funded by Department for Transport)

  • Previous rounds: £1.4-1.6 million distributed to 44 projects
  • Individual grants: Up to £75,000
  • Focus: Projects aimed at children less likely to access Bikeability cycle training than their peers
  • Application method: Competitive bidding (applications not currently open; check website for future rounds)

Innovation Fund (Trust's own charitable funds)

  • Recent example: £300,000 for 18 SEND pilot projects
  • Focus: Developing new forms of cycle training and removing barriers to participation
  • Funded from income generated by the Trust (e.g., award materials sales)
  • Governed by board of trustees

Note: The majority of Trust funding (£19+ million annually) is government funding distributed to local highway authorities for Bikeability delivery - this is not available to general applicants.

Priority Areas

The Trust prioritises projects that:

  • Increase participation among underrepresented groups: teenage girls, children from ethnic minority backgrounds, older children, children living in areas of deprivation
  • Support children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)
  • Develop innovative, creative and exciting approaches to cycle training
  • Remove barriers to participation in cycle training
  • Use qualified Bikeability instructors
  • Are based in England (excluding Greater London)

What They Fund

  • Pilot projects for underrepresented children
  • Adapted cycles and equipment
  • BMX and pump track facilities for Level 1 training
  • Mobile cycle training initiatives (e.g., “Bikeability Bus”)
  • Bike libraries and loan schemes
  • Instructor upskilling on disability inclusion and behavioural management
  • Community champion programmes
  • Immersive reality/innovative technology programmes
  • Projects targeting specific communities or demographics

Eligible Applicants

  • Current Bikeability training providers
  • Charities and community groups
  • Organisations that deliver cycle training using qualified Bikeability instructors
  • Must be based in England

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects outside England (Greater London has separate funding through Transport for London)
  • Projects not using qualified Bikeability instructors
  • Organisations not registered with The Bikeability Trust (all must register to deliver Bikeability)
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Governance and Leadership

Current Leadership

Chair of Trustees: Trudy Harrison (appointed March 2025)

  • Former MP for Copeland
  • Former Minister for the Environment and Minister for Transport with responsibility for active travel
  • Taught Bikeability as a school governor
  • Involved in the establishment of Active Travel England

Previous Chair: Dr Alison Hill MBE (2017-2023)

  • Awarded MBE for services to cycling
  • Qualified in medicine from Bristol University
  • Former Director of Public Health in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes
  • Former Deputy Chief Knowledge Officer at Public Health England (2012-2015)

Quote from Dr Alison Hill: “The Board agreed a new vision and set of strategic goals for the Trust, designed to take them to 2025, with the vision that The Bikeability Trust will ensure everyone has the confidence to cycle.”

Board of Trustees

  1. Andrew Milbourne - Chair of Trustees, former primary school headteacher
  2. John Jackson - Vice Chair, business consultant with Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, Cycling UK group member and Bikeability instructor
  3. Dr Catherine Purcell - Vice Chair, Reader at Cardiff University, research on perception and action
  4. Imran Hussain - Youth worker and BAME cycling advocate with 20+ years experience
  5. Esther Durrant - Trainer consultant with background in children's care and counselling
  6. Paul Murray - Active Travel Lead, highways engineer
  7. Shirley Moffat - Infrastructure project professional with Transport for London experience
  8. Gordon Read - Bikeability Coordinator, former PE teacher and Head of PE
  9. Lee Kidger - Mobility Digital founder, former Raleigh UK Managing Director
  10. Nick Truran - Strategic Cycling Lead with 21 years in local government
  11. Christine Phillips - Marketing and Communications Director
  12. Siva Sanmugarajah - Trustee

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Current Status: The Widening Participation Fund is not currently accepting applications. Previous rounds operated on a competitive bidding basis with set deadlines.

For Information About Future Funding Rounds:

  • Monitor bikeability.org.uk for announcements
  • Email: innovationfund@bikeabilitytrust.org for Innovation Fund enquiries
  • Email: grants@bikeability.org.uk for general grant enquiries

Previous Application Details (for reference):

  • Applications submitted by deadline (e.g., previous round closed 5pm on 29 October 2021)
  • Maximum grant value: £75,000
  • Organisations must be based in England
  • Projects must use qualified Bikeability instructors

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Applicants should expect to wait several weeks/months for decisions following application deadline.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. In the 2021/22 round, 44 projects were funded from the Widening Participation Fund.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Contact the Trust directly for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Impact and Reach

  • Projects with measurable outcomes performed well - the 2021/22 cohort showed 72% of children felt “fairly or very confident” cycling after training (compared to 36% before)
  • Demonstrate how the project will reach many children, particularly those underrepresented in cycle training
  • Over 9,000 children participated across the 44 funded projects in the 2021/22 round

Innovation and Tailoring

  • The Trust values “creative, innovative and exciting ideas” for schemes that will get children of all backgrounds and abilities cycling
  • “Bespoke sessions” tailored to specific children's needs are prioritised
  • Examples of innovative approaches funded: BMX/pump tracks, mobile buses, bike libraries, immersive reality programmes

Target Groups

Clearly demonstrate engagement with one or more priority groups:

  • Teenage girls
  • Children from ethnic minority backgrounds
  • Older children
  • Children living in areas of deprivation
  • Children with SEND

Partnership and Delivery Capability

  • Must use qualified Bikeability instructors
  • Must be registered with The Bikeability Trust
  • Current Bikeability training providers particularly welcomed
  • Strong partnerships (e.g., with bike manufacturers like Forme) can strengthen bids

Equipment and Resources

Successful projects included:

  • Purchase of more than 1,000 bikes for children from deprived areas
  • Investment in adapted cycles for SEND users
  • Development of mobile training facilities

Strategic Alignment

The Trust's vision is that “everyone has the confidence to cycle” - align proposals with:

  • Building confidence in cycling
  • Providing life skills
  • Breaking down barriers to participation
  • Promoting inclusion and diversity

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Target underrepresented groups explicitly - Be specific about which priority demographic(s) your project serves (teenage girls, ethnic minorities, children in deprivation, older children, SEND users)
  1. Be innovative and creative - The Trust seeks “creative, innovative and exciting ideas” rather than standard delivery; show how your approach differs
  1. Demonstrate bespoke tailoring - Emphasise how sessions will be tailored to specific children's needs rather than one-size-fits-all
  1. Focus on confidence and life skills - Align with the Trust's vision that everyone should have “confidence to cycle” and frame cycling as a life skill
  1. Use qualified instructors - This is mandatory; ensure you have access to qualified Bikeability instructors and are registered with the Trust
  1. Plan for measurable outcomes - The Trust evaluated previous rounds showing improvements from 36% to 72% confidence; demonstrate how you'll measure impact
  1. Monitor for funding announcements - Funds are not always open; check the website regularly and sign up for updates via innovationfund@bikeabilitytrust.org
  1. Consider scale - Previous rounds funded 44 projects reaching over 9,000 children; show how your project achieves meaningful reach

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