Birmingham cycling club wins national volunteering award with cycling charity

By Victoria Heywood
Wednesday, 10 October 2018
Balsall Heath members collect their award
Balsall Heath Community Cycle Club has won the ‘Best Cycling Group’ category at national cycling charity Cycling UK’s Volunteer of the Year Awards, announced on Saturday

The club, run from a mosque in Balsall Heath, aims to encourage local people to consider using a bike for everyday journeys and join in with group rides to build confidence and make friends.

They have only been going since the spring of 2017 but have already managed to increase the club’s membership from 60 to well over a hundred. In particular, the club has focussed on getting more ethnic minority women on bikes, a group vastly underrepresented in cycling.

Tasleem Iqbal, the club’s secretary, said of the win: “We were shocked as it was a total surprise for us, but felt immensely proud for the entire club as all the volunteers have made this achievement possible.”

Alex Cuppleditch, Head of Volunteering at Cycling UK said: “The brilliant volunteers behind Balsall Heath Community Cycle Club are proactive and inclusive, helping anyone who is interested in getting on a bike. They have found a fantastic formula for success, and the club is a worthy winner of the ‘Best Cycling Group’ title.”

Notes to editors

  1. Cycling UK, the national cycling charity, inspires and helps people to cycle and keep cycling, whatever kind of cycling they do or would like to do. Over a century’s experience tells us that cycling is more than useful transport; it makes you feel good, gives you a sense of freedom and creates a better environment for everyone. www.cyclinguk.org
  2. Cycling UK's Volunteer of the Year Awards are given annually to recognise and celebrate all the incredible work volunteers do to encourage others to start cycling and keep cycling. This year’s winners were announced at Cycling UK’s Big Bike Celebration in Harrogate on Saturday 6 October. There were ten categories this year. For more information, visit https://www.cyclinguk.org/about/volunteers-year-awards
  3. Images of this year’s winners can be found here: https://www.skyfish.com/p/cyclinguk/1328674
  4. An article about Balsall Heath can be found here: https://www.cyclinguk.org/case-study/balsall-heath-group-gets-more-ethnic-minority-women-cycling

Press contact information

For more information, interview requests and images contact the national Cycling UK Press Office on 01483 238 315, 07786 320 713 or email [email protected]

Volunteering for Cycling UK

Further reading