Cycling for All needs £23k

Update 2/3/10: Thank you to everyone who has been in touch since hearing about our funding situation earlier this year. We now have some good news as since our last update, we have been successful in being awarded £10k from a charitable trust. This means that we can run until the end of August. However, we still have only £12k of our £35k target to run our Monday and Saturday open sessions throughout the year so read on to see how you can help.

What’s different from last year?
Late spring last year we were in a similar poor funding position due to a misunderstanding with Croydon Council, but we were lucky as the Leader, Cllr Mike Fisher, stepped in and £25k was secured for us. Unless we have some help from you though, it is very unlikely that that will happen again. Councillors this time have prioritised the re-development of Purley Town Centre, reducing the likelihood of us continuing Cycling for All. And unlike this year, we will not be able to subsidise Cycling for All from other income.

What we have done to secure funding for 2010/11
As you know, the recession and the credit crunch have made it a difficult year for everyone. For us, it means that 8 applications to charitable trusts or Croydon Council/ NHS have been turned down. We still have 2 applications outstanding but experience has shown us that what we provide is not looked upon favourably.

We have secured funding from other sources too. Some people have done sponsored activities for us or just made donations, raising over £14k for us. We have also piloted an idea for an independent income stream but need more staff to be able to implement this to raise the money we need. 

What you can do to help
1. Write to your elected representatives
2010 is election year for your councillors. You can help us by writing to your councillor asking them to put pressure on the Leader to find some funding for us. I have drafted a template letter which will get you started if you’re not sure what to say. And you can find your local councillors here . 

2. Find corporate sponsors
Croydon has many employers, many of which have a “corporate social responsibility” policy. Now is your chance for them to demonstrate it to you! To save you time and prevent us starting off on the wrong foot with a company, I suggest checking the business’s policy first and seeing if what we do fits in. I have produced a factsheet explaining about the project which you can use as introductory material.

Alternatively, if you think you might have a useful contact but want to have a quick chat with me first, just give me a call on 020 7346 8482.

3. Do a sponsored activity
A team raised nearly £2.5k jumping into Brockwell Lido in December. Can you think of a quirky or challenging activity which people would sponsor you to do? Our justgiving page makes it easy for you as you don’t have to handle any money and extra income can be raised through Gift Aid. Visit our justgiving site to see how easy it is.

4. Make a donation
Donations can also be made at our justgiving site with Gift Aid automatically reclaimed.

Any help you give will make a difference. Do get in touch if you have any ideas or queries.

Past news and events

25 Nov, 2009 - Dame Tanni attending the LDCF meeting

LDCF meeting: Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, the British Paralympian and director of Transport for London, is attending the next London Disability Cycling Forum on Tuesday 9 March. Check out London Disability Cycling Forum page for more information. 

29 May, 2009 - Bikes in the Park to continue to March 2010

Lambeth Transport has provided some additional funding so we can run our popular cycle sessions for longer. Together with our Sport Relief, Peter Minet Trust and Communities for Health funding, this means that our sessions can continue until at least March 2010. Visit our Bikes in the Park pages for more information. 

26 Mar, 2009 - 3 hour sessions at Croydon Cycling for All

From April we will be doubling the length of our Cycling for All sessions at Croydon to 3 hours on both Saturdays and Mondays. Our session times will also change slightly. On Mondays we will be open from 10.15 - 1.15 and on Saturdays from 9.45 - 12.45. Why not take advantage of these longer sessions to arrive a bit later or even finish your cycle session with picnic lunch in South Norwood Park?

More about Cycling for All at Croydon Cycling for All. 

15 Dec, 2008 - 2008/9 annual review available for viewing

Our annual report and accounts have been signed off by the trustees and our auditor so the annual review is available for you to read. Find out more about us by having a look.

04 Dec, 2008 - Cycling for All cited as best practice

We are proud that PRO-ACTIVE South London and the London Sports Forum for Disabled People cite Cycling for All as a best practice example of increasing participation in sport and physical activity for disabled Londoners.

Find out more about the sessions at here.