Scotland’s Big Bike Revival awarded £453,000 Government grant

The Big Bike Revival in Scotland has been given a boost having secured £453,000 in funding through Transport Scotland.

Announced by Himza Yousaf during his keynote speech at the eighth National Active Travel Conference at ‘Our Dynamic Earth’ in Edinburgh, the Cycling UK managed funding will benefit both potential cyclists and those in the bike business too.

Yousaf said: “I am delighted to award this Scottish Government funding of £453,000 to Cycling UK to bring the Big Bike Revival project to Scotland this year, with the aim of delivering transport and related physical activity behaviour change on a significant scale.

“This project engages a network of established community focused initiatives where cycling has been adopted to help address economic, social or health inequality. Organisations receiving funding from Transport Scotland – such as Sustrans and Cycling Scotland – will work with Cycling UK to add significant value to projects such as Pedal for Scotland and the work in schools which encourage people to take up cycling again, or for the first time.

“The Big Bike Revival will contribute to our vision of 10% of everyday journeys by bike by 2020.”

Cycling in Scotland has been on the rise for some time and Edinburgh recently declared its highest modal share for cycling to date, hitting 26.1% in places. during rush hour.

The Revival event is run each year with the aim to encourage people to revive bikes going to waste in the shed. The funding covers maintenance and repair efforts at 50 centres across Scotland over four weeks in summer, as well as efforts to teach people the basics of fixing a bicycle. There’s also opportunity for people to trade their old bike in for an upgrade at the centres, or simply donate their unwanted cycle.

In England the revival programme last year saw 50,000 people benefit, with over 21,000 of those saying they cycle more often since overhauling their old clunker. Of those who attended, 46% lived in a deprived neighbourhood.

Suzanne Forup, Cycling UK’s Head of Development Scotland, added: “We want to encourage people to cycle to work or school, to the shops, or to visit friends, rather than drive or use public transport. Our ambition is to make cycling a normal part of everyday life as it is good for your health, well-being, the economy and the environment.

“The project will reach a climax with the autumn Big Bike Revival Rides programme in October – a celebration of cycling consisting of hundreds of scheduled led ride events across Scotland.

“Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival has already demonstrated that with some simple promotion of existing local bicycle repair and recycling centres, people are more than keen to take up the chance to revive their bike and learn how simple it is to repair a puncture, or fix a chain, and get themselves more active by cycling again. The Big Bike Revival programme reflects Cycling UK’s ethos to help communities to take up cycling.”