Thanks to funding from the Active Travel Capability Fund, British Cycling, in partnership with Nottingham City Council, had the opportunity to introduce the joys and benefits of cycling to children aged 3 to 11 at this year’s Feel Good Festival in King Edward Park.

Working alongside The Renewal Trust, a local charity based in St Ann’s/Sneinton, and supported by Travel Well, the aim was to create a fun, safe space where children could experience cycling, many for the very first time. British Cycling set up a mini cycle course and delivered Learn to Ride sessions with huge success. A lot of young riders got more confident throughout the day.

For many families in the area, access to bikes and coaching is limited. That’s why events like these are vital not just to introduce cycling, but to make it a regular, accessible activity for all.

With over 2,300 attendees, the cycle course was busy all day. So much so, every Learn to Ride session was fully booked all the way through to the summer holidays. The excitement and enthusiasm of the children who took part was clear and many left eager to ride again.

Graeme Waters, Community Coach at British Cycling, said: “I cannot believe how popular the cycling and learn to ride was at The Feel Good Festival, there was so much positive feedback. It identified there is so many young people who do not know how to ride a bike that is a life skill and there is a lot we can do to help”.

Mr Nic Williams BCAC, Community Lead at The Renewal Trust, said: “Thank you so much for supporting the Feel Good Festival on the 31st May at Cherry Lodge. We believe we had over 2300 on site throughout the event. We could not have done it without the amazing support of yourselves as organisations, providers or volunteers.”