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Hexham-based Cycling Minds has been named Most Inspiring Club by Cycling UK, beating dozens of nominees across the UK. As a winner, Cycling Minds will be added to Cycling UK's Roll of Honour for its “outstanding contribution to Cycling UK’s mission to enable more people to cycle”. The news comes just as Cycling Minds launches a crowdfund to raise money to continue its valuable work.
Cycling UK has announced the winners of its annual Volunteer Awards for 2023, which include one of our local charitable organisations. Despite only launching in April last year, Cycling Minds caught the awards panel’s attention, thanks to its “outstanding contribution” and “for achieving great things” getting more people in our local community out on bikes, none of which would be possible without Cycling Minds’ dedicated team of volunteers.
Commenting on the awards, Cycling UK’s CEO, Sarah Mitchell, said: "I am hugely grateful to the many dedicated volunteers who support the work of Cycling UK in so many big and small ways”.
On being told of Cycling Minds’ award, founder Toby Price said: “It’s great to see our work being recognised, especially as a new organisation. We have plenty to be proud of since we launched, although it has been an uphill battle with lots of challenges along the way. Knowing an established organisation like Cycling UK recognises the value of what we have started makes all the hard work worthwhile."
The news coincided with Cycling Minds launching a crowdfunding campaign to continue its valuable work at a time when funding for charities has never been so tight. If you would like to support them, head to www.spacehive.com/cyclingminds to make a pledge
Cycling Minds is a recently established social enterprise in Hexham that primarily supports young people struggling in life for whatever reason through its Step On(e) guided e-bike ride programme, which offers young people the opportunity to go on guided e-bike rides to improve their mental and physical health, and its Persevere 2 Succeed employability programme providing these beneficiaries bike mechanic, ride leader and customer service training at its home: The Link Community Cycle Hub in Hexham. It also delivers activities on behalf of other organisations including social prescribers such as the Living Well Service, and advisory support to organisations in the active travel and cycle tourism spaces including Transport North East and Visit Northumberland.
Ultimately, Cycling Minds aims to establish a virtuous circle, leveraging cycling as a sport to engage young people initially and then foster a long-lasting relationship with them so that they can develop the skills and knowledge needed to work with the organisation as active participants in further developing The Link and as ambassadors for cycling in their local communities.
For further information or to volunteer with Cycling Minds, please email [email protected]
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