British Cycling and Forestry England have agreed a landmark partnership which will expand access to the nation’s forests for cycling communities across England.
This aligns with the National Governing Bodies purpose to bring the joy of cycling to everyone, and England’s largest land manager’s strategic aims, which include enabling the nation’s forests to improve health and wellbeing across society.
The partnership was launched with the visitor centre at Forestry England Dalby playing host to the start of stage one of Britain’s biggest professional women’s race, the Lloyds Tour of Britain.
This is a key agreement in utilising Forestry England sites to support and enable thousands more people to take to the saddle – largely via inclusive and accessible participation programmes such as Breeze in the Forest – an established programme aimed at encouraging women to ride in safe, traffic-free environments in nature.
An innovative part of the agreement will see Limitless – British Cycling’s leading disability and para cycling programme - expand into the forests for the first time with a first-year programme starting during 2025 to support more riders with a disability to take part in off-road cycling and mountain biking in Forestry England sites across England.
Through the partnership, there will be enhanced opportunities in the nation’s forests to support cyclists of all ages and abilities - from entry level coaching for children and young people, to new off-road cycling education courses, events, and support for British Cycling's talent pathway, which will utilise the nation’s forests to deliver talent and Great Britain Cycling Team coaching.
Building on the recent announcement of British Cycling’s four-year strategy, the partnership supports key strategic priorities to support and grow the sport whilst driving social impact and tackling inequalities by providing more opportunities for people to cycle in off-road and traffic free environments.
Amy Gardner, Sport and Participation Director at British Cycling, said:
“This is a game changing partnership which will enable more people to get into the forests across England and bring the joy of cycling to everyone. Partnering with Forestry England opens so many opportunities for both organisations. The enhancement of cycling participation projects through utilising forest sites across England, including the introduction of new initiatives, will open the forests to more children and young people, more disabled people, and more people from underserved communities.”
Dan Cook, Forestry England’s National Cycling Infrastructure Manager adds:
“The nation's forests offer some of the best cycling environments in England, and this landmark partnership with British Cycling will help us open these spaces to even more people. At Forestry England, we're committed to making our forests accessible to everyone, and cycling is a brilliant way to experience the physical and mental wellbeing benefits that spending time in nature provides. We're particularly excited about the Limitless programme bringing cycling opportunities for those with disabilities to our sites, ensuring our forests truly welcome cyclists of all abilities. This collaboration builds on our shared vision to make cycling more inclusive, sustainable and enjoyable for communities across England."
Photo credit: SWpix.com.
