British Cycling can today announce the launch of two new funding schemes, worth a total of £45,000, to support event organisers in England and rebuild participation levels following the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The funds, which are being supported by Sport England’s Sector Renewal programme, will enable organisers of national, regional, and entry-level events to bid for funding to support event delivery, with a particular focus on supporting events targeted at youth and junior riders, para-cyclists, women and girls and diverse ethnic communities.
In a similar story to that currently being experienced by many sports, participation levels in cycling events remain lower than before the pandemic, despite the removal of Covid-19 restrictions. The most recent figures from Sport England’s Active Lives survey, published in April, showed that there are now 1.3 million more inactive adults than pre-pandemic levels, with the greatest differences seen individual sports, women, young people, disabled people and people from diverse ethnic communities.
Further details of the two funds can be found below:
- Covid Recovery Fund: Organisers can apply for a grant of up to £300 (regional events) and £500 (national events) to support event delivery, and the fund is open for applications across all disciplines for events taking place until March 2023.
- Entry-Level Events Fund: Organisers can apply for a grant of up to £200 towards any event which includes a Go-Ride Racing, Go-Race, Go-BMX, Go-Cross or Go-MTB race, which is specifically geared towards novice racers and those looking to try a new discipline. Events can either be standalone or bolted on to existing activity.
Announcing the funds, British Cycling’s Cycling Delivery Director, Dani Every, said
“Despite their brilliant work and unwavering commitment, we know that the landscape for event organisers and volunteers has and continues to be incredibly challenging since the pandemic. The two funds announced today highlight our determination to re-build participation levels across the sport, support our organisers and volunteers and give them the confidence and backing to plan and deliver their events.
“Like many sports, we’re concerned by the impact which Covid-19 has had on participation amongst women and girls, para-cyclists, younger age groups and diverse ethnic communities in particular, and having a vibrant calendar of local, accessible events is absolutely vital if we want to reverse that trend.
“We have made good progress in addressing historic inequalities in our sport over recent years, and with the support of Sport England we’re determined to build on that work and ensure a full and speedy recovery across the disciplines.”
Event organisers wishing to access the funds should first speak to their regional Cycle Sport Developer, before then submitting an application through the links below.
Contact details for our Cycle Sport Developers can be found here.
