British Cycling and HSBC UK can today announce that the partnership between the two organisations has surpassed its target of getting two million more people on bikes by the end of 2020, and that they will be extending their relationship into 2021.
The decision to continue the partnership into next year comes at a unique moment with the Prime Minister promising a ‘golden age for cycling’ and as British Cycling begins building a coalition of partners to harness the country’s new passion for getting around on two wheels.
Indeed, one in five UK commuters say they are more likely to cycle to work after lockdown, and a third say they are less likely to use the tube, train or bus.
The extension enables HSBC UK to continue their support of the Great Britain Cycling Team on their journey to the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and helps British Cycling to capitalise on the wave of enthusiasm for cycling as people return to work and school, ending the partnership on a high in 2021.
In February this year it was announced that the partnership would come to an end in 2020, however the Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the partnership’s 2020 plans.
The partnership has refocused its efforts, and since lockdown has been working hard to support the country to cycle more often, including:
- Free British Cycling membership for NHS workers, providing peace-of-mind benefits to over a thousand people doing vital work for the country.
- Setting up the HSBC UK Let’s Ride Local microsite to help families get the most out of cycling during lockdown, as well as launching HSBC UK Ready Set Ride, a free online resource for parents to teach their children to ride a bike.
- Providing advice and support to UK businesses on how they can help their employees stay active, and 50% discount on British Cycling Commute memberships for HSBC UK customers.
While the two organisations will continue to work closely, the relationship will change so more partners can join British Cycling and create a coalition of businesses to support millions more people to get active by getting on their bikes.
British Cycling Chief Executive, Julie Harrington, said:
“British Cycling has a long-established reputation for setting and hitting ambitious targets – from winning the Tour de France to quadrupling our membership, and working with HSBC UK to get 2 million more people cycling is a landmark moment in our history.
“I’m incredibly proud of what our two organisations have achieved in the past four years, and to surpass such an ambitious target given the disruption we’ve seen to our activities this year is a testament to both the quality of our programmes and initiatives and the tireless work and support of our staff, volunteers and participants.
“With the number of people cycling still significantly up on pre-pandemic levels, and the transformational Government focus we have seen on getting more people on bikes, there’s never been a more exciting time to be involved in cycling.
“We have bold plans for 2021 and beyond to ensure we harness that passion and give every community in Britain the opportunity to discover the joy of riding a bike. I’d like to express our thanks to HSBC UK for their continued support as we build greater sustainability into British Cycling by opening our doors to more partners who share our vision to transform Britain into a truly great cycling nation.”
HSBC UK Chief Executive, Ian Stuart, said:
“We are very pleased to be able to extend our partnership with British Cycling, supporting the health and wellbeing of our customers, colleagues and communities through the Covid-19 crisis.
"From helping get two million more people on bikes to creating special support for NHS staff for their continued efforts, we are serious about creating a legacy through our partnership with British Cycling and we hope this ambitious project will fundamentally change the country’s approach to cycling.”
Further details on the partnership’s plans for 2021 will be announced in due course, and it is hoped that the plans will be able to incorporate the mass participation city events which has proved so popular in recent years.