Cycling UK launches the Big Bike Revival to get thousands of people cycling
A national campaign is being launched across England (Friday 28 April) to help encourage thousands of people to start cycling again, for leisure or for their everyday journeys.
The award-winning programme of events, which is being delivered by the national cycling charity Cycling UK, will be coming to towns and cities across England.
The aim is to help people in England bring their bikes back to health with free cycle checks, maintenance advice and top tips on how and where to get cycling again.
Partnered by Halfords, community groups and bike recycling centres across the country, the project aims to encourage and inspire thousands of people to get on their bikes again or cycle for the first time.
Big Bike Revival 2017 is being launched today with a series of fun activities at Resurrection Bikes in Harrogate – the town which hosts the finish of Stage 2 of the Tour de Yorkshire on Saturday.
Last year, Cycling UK saw a huge increase in the number of people who took up cycling as a result of the Big Bike Revival after reaching nearly 25,000 beneficiaries. The charity hopes to increase that figure this year.
Hundreds of Big Bike Revival events will again take place across the country in 2017, offering everything from puncture repair workshops, basic bike maintenance and led rides to cycle health checks, cycle skills sessions and route planning – all of them FREE.
In addition, local community cycle clubs will be at the events to provide ongoing support for those new or returning to cycling.
The Department for Transport has supported the Big Bike Revival campaign with a £1m investment. BBR will provide support and activities to help achieve the DfT’s vision to encourage more people to get cycling.
This year we hope to build on our previous success to encourage people to get back on their bikes and experience the benefits of cycling first hand.”
Laura Hales, Cycling UK Head of Development for England
Laura Hales, Cycling UK’s Head of Development for England, said:
“Through the Big Bike Revival we are looking forward to bringing the joy of cycling back to the community. It is a fun and inclusive activity, great for the environment and for your health.
“This year we hope to build on our previous success to encourage people to get back on their bikes and experience the benefits of cycling first hand.”
With hundreds of events planned over the next six weeks and centres spread across every local authority area in England, the Big Bike Revival aims to bring thousands more bikes back into use.
Cycling UK has also been awarded £450,000 by the Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland, to run Big Bike Revival in Scotland for the second year running. The Scottish Government has a vision to see 10% of everyday journeys by cycle by 2020.
Come and join in some of the hundreds of events and activities planned across the UK this summer. To find Big Bike Revival events near you, visit www.bigbikerevival.org.uk
Whatever your journey, Cycling UK is running events across England and Scotland to help improve your cycling confidence, fix your bike and have some fun!
ENDS
Notes to editors
Cycling UK, the national cycling charity, inspires and helps people to cycle and keep cycling, whatever kind of cycling they do or would like to do. Over a century’s experience tells us that cycling is more than useful transport; it makes you feel good, gives you a sense of freedom and creates a better environment for everyone. www.cyclinguk.org
To find an event or a Big Bike Revival centre near you, visit: www.bigbikerevival.org.uk
In 2016, Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival reached 24,596 beneficiaries across England – nearly half of them female, 42% of them non-regular cyclists and 41% from deprived areas. There were 648 events and 200 Ride Leaders were trained.
The Big Bike Revival has previously won the following awards: Chartered Institute of Marketing – Best Third Sector Campaign; Northern Digital Marketing Award – Best Public Sector Campaign; Smarter Travel Award – Best Marketing Campaign; Guardian Sustainable Business Awards – Runner-up; Cycle Planning Awards – Best Behaviour Change Campaign.
Press contact information
Cycling UK Press Office
Email: publicity@cyclinguk.org
Telephone: 0844 736 8453, 01483 238 315, 07786 320 713
