Community Cycling Projects in Govanhill Receive Funding Boost
Several initiatives around Govanhill are among the twenty-nine projects funded across the city in a move that has been welcomed by the local cycling community. The fund is designed to engage citizens with the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships taking place from 3-13 August.
Women on Wheels, a group based in Govanhill.
Glasgow City Council have announced the recipients of their ‘Go Cycle Glasgow Fund’. This funding sees 29 community groups share a portion of a £160,000 pot that aims to fund new and enhanced cycling initiatives, which encourage and promote cycling for recreation, sport and active travel.
The ‘Go Cycle Glasgow Fund’ created by Glasgow Life, is designed to engage citizens with the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships taking place in the city and across Scotland from the 3-13 August, with the aim of creating a lasting legacy for the city.
This new fund aims to inspire more local people to take up or return to cycling, making it an activity for life, by supporting community groups across Glasgow to create and develop accessible and sustainable cycling projects.
The intiatives based in or near Govanhill that have received funding includ:
Women on Wheels: A Govanhill based community cycling hub for women. Its service is designed and led by women, they deliver a range of cycling activities to get women back on a bike or onto a bike for the very first time with a particular focus in empowering women of colour to pick-up the activity.
Youth Community Support Agency: A charity based in Govanhill for over 25 years that aims to empower BAME young people and parents in the area. Their work challenges discrimination and aims to influence policy and practice in relation to youth. The funding will allow them to continue running their bike club.
Shawlands Bike Bus: A team of volunteers that provides a safe and fun cycle to Shawlands Primary every Friday morning for all pupils. There are usually about 45 parents and students who cycle to the school every Friday and you can check out their route here
Active Life Club: The sports youth charity, which has a branch on Dixon Road, will continue encouraging young people to get active by hopping on the saddle.
Glasgow Cycle Speedway: Glasgow’s only speedyway cycle team (a speedway is essentially a sport where thrill-seekers race each other around dirt tracks on steel bikes with no gears or brakes) is based in Cathkin Park. Check out their club times here
Gorbals Housing Association: The community-controlled housing association up in the Gorbals will use the funding to continue encouraging its members to be active through cycling.
Shgufta Anwar of Women on Wheels told Greater Govanhill about the difference this funding will make:
“We currently deliver women's cycling services in and around Govanhill, but with this fund we will be able to widen our reach around Glasgow through targeting women’s community groups.
“Our activities we will be able to run with this funding will specifically benefit women who are under-represented in cycling (particularly those from BAME communities and women of colour,) have low levels of physical activity and are keen to try cycling – both as a means of travel and a way to improve their physical and mental health.
“It’s important to fund cycling projects like ours as cycling is a cheap, healthy, planet-friendly mode of transport which has little or no negatives. It gives people a sense of freedom and independence and most importantly we want to share the joy of cycling with everyone.”
Each of these organisations received funding for their projects as they all:
Encourage more local people to use cycling for recreation, sport or active travel
Provide cycling activities for underrepresented groups in the community
Are inclusive and accessible, addressing barriers to participation
Engage participants in cycling now and provide sustainable activities that will be deliverable in the future
Are committed to sharing learnings and best practice with others.
Making the funding announcement, Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life said:
“I am excited to announce the recipients of funding from the Go Cycle Glasgow Fund, and I am hugely impressed by the ambition and commitment of these local community groups to deliver such an innovative range of cycling related projects, to get more people active and enjoying all the benefits that cycling can bring.”