Bikeability Trust Chief Executive Emily Cherry reflects on 2021

As we reach the end of the year, I’ve been reflecting on Bikeability’s highlights of 2021.

This year, we have continued our mission to offer cycle training to every child. We’ve now helped more than 3.7 million children learn how to cycle so far, and that number just keeps on going up!

Of course, this year hasn’t been without its challenges. Covid continues to affect our lives but thanks to the hard work of our instructors, training providers and grant recipients, children across the country have still managed to complete their Bikeability training.

What a year it’s been. It’s fantastic to hear stories of children overcoming adversity to learn how to cycle, families learning to ride together, and communities coming together to encourage each other to cycle more.

Here are just a few of my highlights from 2021:

• Securing a record £18million in funding from government to support Bikeability
• Launching the Special Educational Needs (SEND) Innovation Fund and supporting 19 projects that help children with SEND learn to cycle
• Launching Cycle Savvy Driving to give more than 1500 approved driving instructors free training on how to better share the road with cyclists
• Joining Britain’s most successful Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey at a Bikeability session in South Yorkshire, where she is Active Travel Commissioner
• Visiting Bristol Family Cycling Centre with Kerry McCarthy MP, former Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. We tried adapted cycles and went on the BMX track together!
• Launching Ride for Peace for UN Peace Day
• Filming with the Grimwade family for Channel 5’s Going Green with the Grimwades
• Our first Celebration of Bikeability Day! Including seeing the nominations and winners of the annual Bikeability awards

We have lots to look forward to in 2022. Forty-four projects that received money from our Widening Participation Fund will see even more children who wouldn’t usually learn how to cycle access Bikeability. We’ll also welcome the Commonwealth Games to Birmingham, where our superstar cyclists of today will inspire the next generation. And of course, we’ll continue to help children and their families become confident cyclists on playgrounds and in parks across England.

I hope you all have a happy and safe festive season.

Emily Cherry

Bikeability Chief Executive