Welcome to our friendly community!
Because everyday walking and cycling is the natural way to get around our beautiful city.
Background
York Bike Belles has been working in York since 2014 and has directly engaged with over 10000 people in that time and many more online. In a 2015 survey, 75% of respondents said contact with us encouraged them to increase their cycling levels. We were originally a project targeting women, delivered by Sustrans and funded by City of York Council’s i-Travel York programme. Funding for this project came to an end in mid-2016.
Our vision and ethos
In mid 2016, the core staff and champions from the project got together and decided to form an independent, volunteer-led community organisation, with a new inclusive ethos. Our vision is that everyday walking and cycling becomes the natural choice of transport across York, so that everyone can enjoy better health, well being and quality of life.
We offer a core, regular programme of cycling and walking support activities, all free of charge to the community. We have committed to continue our most popular and effective activities on a volunteer basis to ensure the sustainability of essential cycling support in York, regardless of the external funding environment.
Our organisation
We are a fully-constituted community organisation, led by a management committee of local women and men passionate about increasing everyday walking and cycling in York.
We have a core delivery team who are trained in ride leading, bike mechanics, first aid and who are all CRB-checked. Our work is people-centred and responsive to need. We pride ourselves in making all our activities safe, sociable, supportive and, above all, fun!
We have a focus on everyday walking and cycling and encouraging those new to cycling and supporting people to walk and cycle for transport and to become car free. We target York groups and communities currently under-represented in walking and cycling, such as women, parents of young children, older adults, those with low physical or emotional well being and lower income communities. Our work is innovative, dynamic and continually developing. We continually look for ways of integrating artistic activity and raising awareness of the value of nature in cities, especially trees, into our practice. Our work has been recognised nationally – York Bike Belles #travelwithtots won a national award in 2016 for Excellence in Cycling from Modeshift.
In 2018, we will increase our work to develop community place making and consultation projects to tactically trial and improve York’s walk cycle infrastructure and public spaces and reduce traffic.
We pursue a culture of constructive collaboration and positive advocacy towards making York a better place for walking and cycling, a #cityforpeople. We work strategically across the city. We are an integral part of York’s community, working with multiple community partners, businesses and City of York Council. We are part of the leadership team for the exciting city-wide One Planet York movement – working to make York a more sustainable, resilient and collaborative city.
Projects 2018
Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, i-Travel York and sponsorship from Cycle Heaven and their suppliers, Madison, we continue to deliver an exciting programme of walking and cycling activities in 2018, including our monthly walks and rides, monthly cake confidence sessions, buddying, bike maintenance workshops, interactive social media and a new Walk Cycle Festival 2018 and Cycling Families programme, More details on here as these projects develop.
We are always looking for volunteer champions to help with our work, so do email yorkbikebelles@gmail if you are interested in being part of our friendly team.
