Cycle project delivers £100million+ in social value and saves NHS millions; prompts renewed calls for long term investment

While the trade is at the moment less predictable than we’d like, a welcome reminder of the reliable benefits of cycling to the nation (and the Exchequer) has arrived in the CIN PR newsbag.

The latest example of the logic to long-term investment in cycling is new data from the Places to Ride programme which has delivered over £100 million in social value nationally, saving the NHS millions in long term health condition prevention. Places to Ride – a collaboration between Sport England and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport – delivered over 150 community cycling facilities and opportunities across England since 2019. The project has made significant positive differences to those with long term health conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia and depression.

Cycling facilities from Wolverhampton to Ipswich, and Plymouth to Liverpool, have already seen a big impact in healthcare prevention costs, bringing cycling opportunities to half a million people already, from learning to ride a bike for the first time, to finding the joy of cycling in their local parks, on BMX pump tracks, or in the forests.

Data shows the following condition-specific savings to the NHS over a five-year period:

T2 Diabetes: £3.7 million 

Depression: £3.5 million  

Reduced Psychological Distress: £1.18 million 

Coronary Heart Disease: £1.12 million 

Stroke: £1.08 million 

Reduced GP visits: £834,131 

Back pain: £798,163 

Cancer: £350,616 

Injuries: 198,045 

Dementia: £187,875 

Hip fractures: £145,168 

*Figures accurate from last reporting phase in November 2025.

Significant has been the difference to communities judged “long been underserved”, with 83% of projects focused on children and young people, 41% targeting women and girls, 35% supporting low-income groups, and 41% engaging people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

In Scotland, the Cycling Facilities Fund has seen £8 million invested into facilities as a direct legacy of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, with similarly positive impacts. That initial investment has unlocked over £18 million in match funding for 31 facilities so far, enhancing the lives of people across the length and breadth of Scotland.

Renewed calls for long-term investment

Global politics is currently particularly full of short term, flip-flopping, with ‘big picture’ long term thinking seemingly thin on the ground (we’d argue). However it is long term commitments that actually make differences to lives, not least according to British Cycling, Scottish Cycling and Beicio Cymru which are collectively calling for £30 million of government investment to deliver over 250 new community-based facilities across England, Scotland and Wales, to have a transformational impact on the health and well-being of the nation, particularly for marginalised groups.

Sam Henry is Founder of No Limits to Health, which serves a diverse local population including a rich mix of ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds. The Wolverhampton-based project has been cited by a PhD conducted by Edge Hill University as a “leading example of cycling as social prescribing” with community-based support bringing physical and mental health benefits to thousands of people in the region. The project received £8,661 of Places to Ride funding – and unlocking over £3,000 of match funding – to buy bikes and safety equipment as well as purchasing a storage container and CCTV, so people in the East Park area could learn basic bike handling skills and grow in confidence. Research shows this project and its three cycle hubs have so far brought nearly £50,000 of social value to the area, equating to £231 per participant.

Henry said: “No Limits to Health was born from years of working with young people and seeing first-hand how cycling can transform lives. I truly believe placing cycle hubs in underserved urban areas has the power to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and families who might otherwise miss out.

“The Places to Ride funding allowed us to launch our first cycle hub in the famous East Park in Wolverhampton, bringing countless opportunities to our community, through ‘Learn to Ride’ sessions, helping those getting on a bike for the first time, to hosting led bike rides. In supporting our infrastructure, we have grown the project from there and acquired match funding from various partners, so we now have three cycle hubs. This would not have been possible without the support from British Cycling via the Places to Ride project.”

Jon Dutton OBE, Chief Executive Officer of British Cycling, said: “Places to Ride has demonstrated the power of targeted public investment. We have hundreds of stories alongside the raw data to show how people’s lives – particularly those in underserved groups – have been and continue to be transformed by the project. It has increased cycling participation and narrowed inequalities, providing more opportunities in communities which needed it most.

“This next phase will build on that proven model with high impact for relatively small investment. With £30 million, we will deliver over 250 new or upgraded cycling facilities across England, Scotland and Wales, with a continued focus on inclusion, innovation and local need. Crucially, this investment will unlock significant match funding from local authorities, charities, commercial partners and communities themselves, ensuring public money goes much further.

“It will also align with national strategies on health, inclusion, active travel and levelling up, whilst playing a vital part in creating a lasting legacy across the home nations ahead of the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Départs.”

Nina Smith, SEND and mental health lecturer at Edge Hill University, who conducted a PhD into the social impact of the Places to Ride programme, said: “Through my PhD, I saw the real-life stories from projects showing how the Places to Ride investments improved physical and mental health, strengthened communities, and tackled inequalities through place-based investment.

“Time and time again people told me that they experienced improved mental and physical health, reduced isolation, and a renewed sense of confidence and community connection. This was especially true for groups often excluded from mainstream sport – such as disabled children and adults, for whom cycling proved uniquely accessible. The impact on people’s lives has been truly transformational.”

Caroline Spanton, Chief Executive of Beicio Cymru, said: “In Wales, we already know the value of investing in cycling facilities. With the support of Welsh Government and Sport Wales, projects such as the National BMX Centre and community facilities like the Abergele Pump Track are improving health, wellbeing and access to cycling for people of all ages.

“The evidence is clear: investment in cycling infrastructure saves public money, improves health outcomes and tackles inequality. What we need next is for this level of funding to expand into Wales Scotland and England at scale, so we can build more local facilities, reach more underserved communities, and ensure cycling plays a central role in Wales’ long-term health and sport ambitions.’’

Nick Rennie, Chief Executive of Scottish Cycling added: “Impact reports from both the Places to Ride programme in England, and the Cycling Facilities Fund in Scotland, clearly demonstrate the impact that facility funding has on the health and wellbeing of the nation. There have been some fantastic facility developments in Scotland over the last five years, which have quickly become the centrepiece of communities, but we still have large portions of the country without a facility that is easily accessible, with more funding required to fill the gaps.

“We fully support the ask from British Cycling and are committed to working collaboratively with partners to deliver a fund that helps transform England, Scotland and Wales into true nations of cyclists.”

Neil Gibson, Senior Physical Activity Advisor at Diabetes UK said: “We know that being physically active has many benefits for people living with all types of diabetes, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing. We also know that for many people activities such as cycling can be difficult to access, both practically but also because of the stigma experienced everyday by people living with diabetes. This research by British Cycling reaffirms the value of improving access to activity and supporting those who have previously been excluded.”