As Life Cycle UK begins its search for new Trustees, we sat down with Chair Sarah Mowl to find out how the charity is working to engage with more diverse communities to build a stronger, more representative and inclusive board.
In our age of climate emergency, rising inequality and public health crisis, interest in cycling is booming. Yet while thousands of people are re-discovering the joys of two wheels, many others still feel that “cycling isn’t for people like me”.
Life Cycle UK wants to change this. We believe that, with the right support, almost anyone can cycle. We run charity projects that are designed to help specific groups to overcome the barriers that stop them from cycling: from tandem cycling for the visually-impaired to “Silver Cyclist” rides for older people and a bike recycling scheme that trains prisoners as accredited cycle mechanics.
Determined to do more
These projects have won national awards and their impact is growing. But we are still not reaching all communities. We are determined to do more to engage a more diverse audience.
To achieve this, we are taking action on multiple fronts.
We are working with funders including John James Bristol Foundation to offer 100% funded training bursaries for ex-offenders and learners from black, Asian and other underrepresented groups to qualify as accredited cycle mechanics with us – and get work in the cycle industry.
We are building partnerships with smaller cycling groups that are active in communities that we aren’t to share our funding and build their capacity by delivering accredited training for their staff and volunteers. Partners include the likes of On Your Bike working with the long-term unemployed in Somerset, and Bristol Muslim Cultural Society’s Cycling Sisters project in Easton.
We are taking steps to make our own team more diverse. All staff completed unconscious bias training to challenge stereotypes about who cycling is for, all managers have completed “Equality Now!” training from Nilaari and we have introduced anonymised job applications for all staff posts. A key next step is to make sure that our Board of Trustees better reflects the communities we serve. There is a wealth of talent, passion and lived experience out there which we aren’t currently reaching.
So put aside thoughts of lycra – if you care about a world with clean air and healthy people then we want to hear from you as we open applications for new Trustees.
