Love to Ride Lancashire, working in partnership with Lancashire County Council offer funding for free cycle activities primarily across East Lancashire.
There is also an opportunity for businesses to apply for an Active Travel Grant of up to up to £5,000 to help employers or voluntary sector organisations to develop, support or promote active travel at their sites. (Note deadline for applications is 30th June 2020) by visiting either;
Helen Fairhurst of Love to Ride Lancashire says, “There is a massive buzz about cycling due to coronavirus. We are aware that cycling is a great option to those who may need to avoid public transport, yet still need to work. Especially our key workers. There are huge health and environmental benefits to riding a bike, whether it’s for fun or for transport.
“We have more people than ever thinking about getting on a bike and more people actually having a go! It’s absolutely fantastic to see so many families and couples out cycling together. We’d love this to be the “new normal”!
“Now is the time when we can all help influence people’s attitudes to cycling and encourage folks to have a go! This includes encouraging and influencing friends, family, colleagues, local authorities, businesses and organisations. Now is the time to redefine “normal” but we only have weeks to do it!
We at LTR have launched a new Ride Healthy platform ride-healthy.com as a response to the coronavirus crisis. It contains lots of current information relating to businesses who may wish to adopt more sustainable methods of transport for their staff. It also contains lots of tips for “new cyclists” including steps to get riding, essential skills, bike maintenance and where to ride.
“We’ve adapted our annual programme due to coronavirus”
Helen adds; “At Love to Ride we’ve adapted our annual programme due to coronavirus. We’re launching “Bike Month” in June to help as many people as possible #ChooseCycling for exercise and transport.
By joining in with Bike Month you’ll be helping towards the UK recovery from the coronavirus crisis.
If people sign up with Love to Ride and log just one ride in June they go into a prize draw, prizes include a brand new bike, a £500 donation to a local Bikes for Key Workers or Coronavirus Community Support Initiative and daily spot prizes.
It takes 30 seconds to sign up at lovetoride.net/lancashire
The Ride Healthy and Love to Ride websites are about helping people get started to ride a bike, keeping them safe and giving them confidence to ride anywhere.
Helen would be delighted to talk to you about cycling and the very specifically the free cycling initiatives that are available to businesses and organisations in East Lancashire. Give her a call on 01257 464423.