Cycle Friendly Communities


The Cycling Scotland’s Cycle Friendly & Sustainable Communities Fund is  now open!

The purpose of the Cycle Friendly and Sustainable Communities Fund is to contribute to a shift away from single occupancy car use, a reduction in carbon emissions and an improvement in wellbeing of communities across Scotland by enabling more people to have more opportunities to cycle. Our aim is to assist local groups to achieve these outcomes in their own communities through innovative new ways of utilising and increasing cycling

How much will we fund?

The amount we will consider funding will depend on the contribution of the project to Cycling Scotland’s vision as stated above. As a guide though, it is unlikely that we will be awarding projects a grant in excess of £6,000.

Criteria

Applications will be assessed on their individual merits and prioritised against set criteria across three themes:

1. Promotes modal shift and behaviour change (10 points available)

The project will encourage community members to choos cycling for short trips instead of taking the car.  It will promote the use of existing infrastructure links to other local initiatives which promote cycle use.

2. Reduces emissions (10 points available)

The project will have a strong focus on reducing emissions, recognising this as an aim rather than as a secondary benefit.  Project activity has a direct and measurable impact on reducing emissions through travel, expressed as carbon saved.

3. Delivers a sustainable community which encourages social inclusion and promotes health and the environment (10 points available)

The project contributes to community development by addressing local needs, building upon skills and resources.  The project recognises barriers to access cycling across the whole community, including those specific to excluded groups.

An independent selection panel will score each project based upon the information supplied in the application form.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on the 23rd June 2012.

We recommend and encourage you to discuss your project proposal to us in advance of submission – contact 0141 229 5443

Application form and guidance notes

A copy of the application form and guidance notes can be found here

Supporting Services

Cycle Ride Leader -  This is a one day course aimed at those who will be leading groups through a variety of rides on pre-planned risk assessed routes within their local area, usually as part of a larger project.  Such programmes are likely to be aimed at adult groups and the emphasis may be on those returning to cycling, those wanting to be more active, a health focus or merely to highlight the range of rides available locally. Click here for more information.

Bike Events Scotland - Scotland’s most comprehensive bike events website, providing a list of every kind of bike event in one place.  Visit www.bikeeventsscotland.com to find events local to your group, or contactwilliamwright@cyclingscotland.org to add your own event.

Hall of Fame – Please visit our Community Cycling Project Hall of Fame with information on all the projects we have funded or supported so far under the Community Cycling Innovation Fund, including a selection of helpful case studies to give you ideas and promote shared learning.

Travel Plan Diary - Travel diaries are a great way to monitor how we travel and look at how we can make these trips more sustainable, if needed. Click on this link to download a useful travel diary here

Carbon Calculator – Why not monitor how much carbon you have used on your journey using the following link -carbon calculator

Previously funded projects

Various projects were funded last year including:

  • Bicycle Loans, Glasgow Bike Station – The Bicycle Loans project will offer free two week bicycle loans to individuals.  Every user will also be offered free cycle training sessions, should they wish it.
  • Kyle Academy Cycling – Kyle Academy plan to purchase 20 bikes which will be used by the pupils.  Outside of class time the bikes will be able to be loaned for travel to and from school and during the school holidays. The funding will also be used to train staff and parent volunteers for the Trail Cycle Leaders Award.
  • Lifeskills re-cycles – The project will provide a bicycle recycling services at the Lifeskills warehouse and will target RAMH Lifeskills staff and volunteers.  RAMH works closely to reduce stigma and promote a greater understanding of mental health.
  • Bike CHAINge, Muirhouse Youth Development Group – The Bike CHAINge project will target groups in the North Edinburgh area. These communities have some of the lowest up-take of physical activity in Scotland, coupled with the highest levels of incapacity benefits due to lifestyle.  The project will promote cycling and support a change in lifestyle by providing training, an incentive scheme and providing information.
  • Belles on Bikes, Bike Club Scotland – This project will work specifically with females in the Central Belt to encourage more women to make journeys by bike.   It will increase the number of females cycling as a means of travel, will improve the cycling skills of females and will make cycling more attractive for females in local communities across the central belt.
  • Unique Cycle Lease Pilot Project, Recyke-a-Bike – The project will provide a bicycle lease scheme in partnership with the Stirling University Student Union using recycled bikes for students attending courses at Stirling University and visitors using the University accommodation during the summer period.
  • On Location Cycling Roadshow, Perth Bike Station – The On Location Cyckling Roadshows will bring cycling roadshows into different communities in and around Perth to promote cycling and provide information and training.
  • Cycling Out In East Lothian, Beyond Boundaries East Lothian – This project aims to provide and develop opportunities for people with disabilities and mental health issues living in East Lothian to participate in regular cycling activities.
  • Neilston Community Cycling Initiative, Neilston Development Trust – This project will create a cycling hub in Neilston.  The cycling hub will include a cycle maintenance workshop, act as a training facility to train local volunteers and will provide a bank of bikes and equipment suitable for all ages which can be hired by local residents.
  • On Yer Bike, Dundee Association for Mental Health – This project will be managed by the Dundee Association for Mental Health and will work with adults that have suffered from mental health issues. The project will focus on introducing the adults to cycling and getting them engaed in cycling. It is hoped the project will help improve their mental health and encourage them to consider cycling as an alternative mode of travel.
  • Women’s Learn to Ride (Edinburgh or Glasgow), Backbone: Celebrating diversity through adventure – The Womens Learn to Ride programme will work with women from ethnic backgrounds who cannot access mainstream mixed gender activities due to religious and cultural limitations. It will encourage the women onto bikes and give them the necessary skills and confidence to get on a bike.

Online Community Mapping

Cycling Scotland are continuing to seek expressions of interest from community groups who would like to benefit from training in open source mapping to help chart cycling facilities in their own local area.  Details of training courses in March are currently being finalised and will be announced by mid-February.

Through funding as part of the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland, we are seeking to support groups to become engaged in mapping their local cycle routes and infrastructure.  Cycling Scotland will provide the equipment and expertise to advise and orientate local groups with an interest in this sector.

To register please download and submit the Expression of Interest Form.

contact:

Isla Campbell – Development Officer
islacampbell@cyclingscotland.org

Christopher Johnson – Lead Development Officer
christopherjohnson@cyclingscotland.org