New partnership announced to put more bikes within reach of Birmingham residents
A new partnership between Birmingham City Council and The Active Wellbeing Society has been announced to deliver the next phase of the award-winning Big Birmingham Bikes project.
Big Birmingham Bikes was first launched in 2015 and to date has seen over 7,500 bikes distributed across the city.
The next phase of this initiative will bring together local partners to provide residents in East Birmingham with access to bikes, cycle skills and maintenance training, along with support to switch from car to bikes for short trips.
Speaking about the partnership, The Active Wellbeing Society CEO Karen Creavin said: “We are thrilled to be working with Birmingham City Council and our local partners again to make cycling more accessible to the residents of Birmingham.
“We know from our previous work in Birmingham and the South East how transformative cycling can be for residents’ health and wellbeing, community cohesion and social mobility.”
Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment & Transport, for Birmingham City Council, said: “We are pleased to be collaborating with The Active Wellbeing Society and other partners to enable further delivery of the Big Birmingham Bikes project.
“This award-winning initiative plays an important part in ensuring access to cycling across Birmingham so that everyone can benefit from the opportunities this provides.
“People having access to a bike and the confidence to use it regularly play an important role in them taking advantage of the new and improved cycle routes we are delivering across the city.”
The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) will be joined by partners, Wheels for All, Sähëlï Hub and Cycling UK, to deepen their offer to residents living in Birmingham.
Inclusive cycling provider, Wheels for All, will be collaborating with partners to create an accessible cycling hub, providing adapted bikes, trikes and tailored cycling support.
Sähëlï Hub, a community hub based in Balsall Health with a focus on supporting women into activity, will be hosting ‘learn to ride’ and cycle skills sessions, as well as offering community support and events.
Andrew Cremin, head of Behaviour Change England at Cycling UK, said: “It’s great to be supporting the Big Birmingham Bikes project for another year.
“Through our expanding network of Community Cycle Clubs across the city, we will continue to work with communities to recognise how cycling can be good for your health, wellbeing and bank account.
“The training and support we provide for these volunteer-led activities and rides is proven to work. By showing people what big changes can come from swapping some car journeys for bike rides, we hope to make our streets safer, greener and more connected.”
Funding for the project comes from revenue generated by the Clean Air Zone – which must be spent on sustainable transport initiatives. Previous phases of the project are estimated to have saved over 130 tonnes of carbon.
Big Birmingham Bikes is expected to launch in Autumn 2025. Click here for more information.
