As Bikeworks celebrates its 20th anniversary, we are proud to become an official Action Hub partner with Fatima’s UK Campaign.

The partnership is grounded in a shared belief in the ability and potential of children and young people in and leaving care, and the importance of creating strong relationships, positive experiences and opportunities that can grow over time.

For Bikeworks, it marks the next stage of a relationship that began two years ago, following a chance meeting with Fatima and a ride together on one of our side-by-side cycles.

From a chance meeting to the Action Hub

Following those first conversations, children and young people from Banya Fostering joined Bikeworks and Fatima’s UK Campaign at the Olympic BMX track at Lee Valley VeloPark.

In the summer of the Paris Olympics, the group enjoyed a coached BMX session and received BMX bikes built through Bikeworks’ Charity Bike Factory, which brings corporate teams together to build cycles for community partners. It was a memorable day for everyone and demonstrated something we all know: opportunities matter.

The following year, Fatima and Gina invited Bikeworks to attend the One Voice Summit at Guildhall. It was a powerful gathering of care-experienced people, organisations, professionals and policymakers, united by a shared commitment to improving the experiences of children and young people in care and bringing about lasting change.

We are incredibly proud that Bikeworks is joining FATIMA’S UK CAMPAIGN as an Action Hub partner.

Our relationship has already shown what meaningful collaboration can achieve. Bikeworks has supported our children and young people with 60 bikes and created opportunities at the velodrome to learn new skills, build confidence and experience the freedom, independence and sense of achievement that cycling can bring.

For young people with care experience, these opportunities are about so much more than a bike or a course. They are about belonging, being given a chance and having people and organisations around them who genuinely believe in their potential.

That is exactly what our Action Hubs are about: bringing good people and organisations together and turning goodwill into practical opportunities that can make a lasting difference.

Jim, Zoe and the Bikeworks team have already demonstrated that commitment through their actions. We are delighted to welcome Bikeworks to our growing Action Hub family and look forward to building on what we have achieved together and creating even more opportunities for our young people in the future.

— Fatima Whitbread MBE
Founder, FATIMA’S UK CAMPAIGN

Becoming an Action Hub partner is the next stage of that relationship. Bikeworks is now developing how our experience of inclusive cycling and cycle mechanics can contribute to the campaign, both through practical activity and by adding our voice to the wider conversations about what needs to change.

Why this matters

Strong relationships and opportunities that continue over time matter for every child and young person. Yet access to them is not equal.

More than 80,000 children were in care in England in 2025. The latest figures also show that 40% of care leavers aged 19 to 21 were not in education, employment or training.

These figures reinforce the importance of creating opportunities that children and young people can return to, relationships that have time to develop, and space to build on their interests and strengths.

This is what Fatima and Gina are building through the Action Hub network: bringing together people and organisations with a shared purpose and turning national attention into meaningful action within communities. The voices and experiences of children and young people in and leaving care will shape what that action becomes.

Twenty years of using cycles as a tool for good

Bikeworks was founded in 2006, inspired by the promise that the London 2012 Games would create lasting opportunities in East London.

Twenty years later, from our home at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, it feels particularly fitting to be building this partnership with Fatima Whitbread MBE. A world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, Fatima’s own story began in care in East London. Her life and sporting career embody extraordinary resilience.

Resilience has also shaped Bikeworks’ journey. Over the past 20 years, we have continued to develop and adapt while remaining committed to using cycles as a tool for good, widening access to physical activity, wellbeing and connectivity through cycling.

That experience has shown us the different but connected possibilities cycling and cycle mechanics can create. Learning to cycle or finding a cycle that works for you matters in its own right, opening up an enjoyable way to be active, spend time with others and take part regularly.

Cycle mechanics offers something different: practical learning that can lead to recognised qualifications, experience of the workplace and, for those interested, progression towards employment in the cycle industry.

Through the Action Hub partnership, we want to explore how cycling and cycle mechanics can build on the interests and strengths of children and young people in and leaving care, with their voices shaping what comes next.

What Bikeworks brings to the Action Hub

Bikeworks brings together the people, place and experience needed to turn a shared ambition into something practical. Our instructors, mechanics and tutors work across inclusive cycling, cycle mechanics and accredited learning, supported by specialist cycles and established training facilities at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Together, these create the potential for more than a one-off experience. Children and young people could return, develop their interests over time and connect cycling and wellbeing with practical learning, qualifications and future opportunities.

“Cycles connect people. Our relationship with Fatima and Gina began with a conversation and a ride together. It has grown because we share a commitment to turning ideas into action.

“As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we want to bring Bikeworks’ experience of inclusive cycling and cycle mechanics to this incredible network of partners. We know cycling can widen access to physical activity and wellbeing, while cycle mechanics can offer practical learning and recognised qualifications. We will be developing this work with children and young people, building from their interests, strengths and ambitions.”

— Zoe and Jim Co-CEOs, Bikeworks

The next stage will be shaped with Fatima’s UK Campaign, the wider Action Hub network and children and young people in and leaving care. It is an opportunity to bring Bikeworks’ 20 years of experience into a partnership built on strong relationships, shared purpose and a commitment to creating something that lasts.

Want to join our journey?

Find out more about Fatima’s UK Campaign and the Action Hub network.

If your work involves children and young people in or leaving care, and you want to know more about how cycles can be used as a tool for good, get in touch with Bikeworks.

 

This September, six NRP riders will set out from Land’s End to cycle 535 kilometres — 332 miles — to Guildhall in London.

Matt Kennedy, Alex Stebbings, Dean Walker, Ryan Hicks, Joe Cowley and Richard Wightman are taking on the five-day challenge with one goal: to raise £10,000 towards increasing Bikeworks’ specialist cycle fleet for disabled children and young people.

NRP has chosen Bikeworks as its charity partner for Cycle 535. When NRP first approached us, Chief Executive Matt Kennedy explained why Bikeworks stood out:

“As we explored potential partners, Bikeworks stood out immediately. Your mission of using cycling as a tool to transform lives, tackle inequality and create stronger communities resonates strongly with both our organisation and the aims of the conference.”

Cycle 535 will take place ahead of the London Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Conference at Guildhall, which NRP sponsors. It also comes as Bikeworks marks 20 years of using cycles as a tool for good.

What are they riding for?

Disabled children and young people can cycle. Too often, it is the opportunity that is not provided.

Only 26% of disabled children and young people have consistent access to PE or school sport, despite 40% saying they want to be more active. This makes access to physical activity beyond school especially important. Inclusive cycling provides another way to take part — but only when suitable specialist cycles, knowledge and support are available.

At Bikeworks, the number of people taking part in our All Ability Clubs has grown from around 2,300 to approximately 5,600 in just three years.

That growth matters. Disabled children and young people, and children and young people with SEND, are still excluded when activities do not have the specialist equipment, knowledge or flexibility required to respond to different physical, sensory, learning and communication needs.

A standard two-wheeled cycle will not work for everyone. One specialist cycle will not work for everyone either.

At one of our All Ability sessions, access to the right specialist cycle and an experienced instructor meant one family could cycle together for the first time:

“This is the first time we’ve been able to cycle as a family. My son felt safe, supported and so proud of himself. It’s given us confidence to keep coming back and trying new things together.”

Our All Ability Clubs bring together a shared fleet of specialist cycles, experienced Inclusive Cycling Instructors and regular, free sessions in community settings. Children and young people can try different cycles, find one that works and return to build skills and confidence.

That is what Cycle 535 is riding for.

 

Where the £10,000 will go

Cycle 535 is raising £10,000 towards increasing Bikeworks’ specialist cycle fleet for disabled children and young people.

The immediate priorities are:

• A van Raam Easy Rider Compact Small, offering a stable seated position and back support.
• A van Raam Easy Rider Compact, making this type of cycling available to a wider range of riders.
• An ICE Sprint X Pixel, adding a compact recumbent trike with a different riding position and handling experience.

Each works differently. Adding these cycles to the fleet would mean more younger riders can find a cycle that works.

New cycles purchased through the campaign will join our shared All Ability fleet and be ridden across our clubs for years to come.

 

Back Cycle 535

The challenge will end at Guildhall after five days. New specialist cycles purchased through the campaign will stay in our shared fleet and be ridden session after session, for years to come.

Donate to Cycle 535 through GoFundMe and share the campaign.

Bikeworks exists to reduce barriers to cycling.

For two decades, we have used cycles as a tool for good. The work has always been practical: finding the cycle, setting, support and maintenance that make riding possible where conventional cycling provision does not reach far enough.

In our 20th year, No Child Left Behind brings that mission into sharper focus. Access to cycling should not depend on being able to ride a two-wheeler, join a mainstream session, or attend a school or community setting with its own specialist fleet.

The need is clear. Activity Alliance’s Play, Move, Belong research found only 26% of young disabled people say they can take part in sport and activity at school all the time, compared with 38% of non-disabled young people.

Cycling can bring movement, independence, skill, time outdoors and shared experience. The question is not whether cycling has value for children and young people. It does.

The question is whether the right conditions are in place: a cycle that fits, instructors who can adapt, a setting that works, and a practical plan to keep the offer active, safe and maintained.

At Victoria Park All Ability Club, Phoenix College students are showing what changes when those conditions come together.

What changes at Victoria Park

Phoenix College students have been spending Saturdays with Bikeworks at Victoria Park All Ability Club.

Each session starts with the cycle. Trained Bikeworks Cycle Instructors work with students to find the right fit, position and way to get moving. Specialist and standard cycles are available, so riding is not limited to one type of bike or one way of taking part.

The starting point is not whether a child or young person can fit into a pre-set cycling session.

The starting point is what needs to be in place so cycling becomes possible.

Students ride through Victoria Park. They spend time outdoors. They move, laugh, concentrate, try again and take part together.

The cycle is the tool. Around it, something wider opens up: movement, shared activity, social connection and time in the park.

A member of staff from Phoenix College reflected on the impact:

“Social interaction can be a challenge, but the club’s friendly and supportive atmosphere encourages positive communication and connection with others. Being able to engage in a shared activity helps them develop social skills in a natural and enjoyable way.”

That is the heart of the work.

Not asking young people to adapt to a fixed cycling offer.

Changing the offer so cycling becomes possible.

Why the right cycle matters

A specialist cycle is not an add-on.

A trike, handcycle, recumbent, wheelchair platform cycle, side-by-side or adapted cycle can open up cycling in a different way. The right choice depends on the rider, the site, storage, staff support, servicing and how often the cycle will be used.

Those decisions are hard to make from a catalogue alone.

A catalogue can show a product.

A Bikeworks session shows the product being used: how the cycle fits, how the rider is supported, how instructors adapt the session, and what needs to sit around the cycle so it can be used safely and regularly.

That matters for schools, colleges, local authorities and community organisations thinking about their own fleet, site or inclusive cycling offer.

From the right cycle to the right offer

Bikeworks can help organisations move from interest to practical delivery.

That can mean visiting an All Ability Club to see specialist cycles in use.

It can mean arranging test rides, talking through product options, choosing the right fleet, or purchasing specialist cycles through Bikeworks.

It can mean putting a maintenance package in place so specialist and standard cycles stay safe, roadworthy and ready to use.

It can also mean bringing Bikeworks into a school, college or community setting with trained instructors, specialist cycles and a delivery plan shaped around the site, the students and the outcomes wanted.

The product matters. The fit matters. The maintenance matters. The instructors matter. The setting matters.

When those pieces are planned properly, cycling becomes possible.

That is cycling equity in practice.

Talk to Bikeworks

If you are a school, college, local authority or community organisation, Bikeworks can help you explore what inclusive cycling could look like in your setting.

We can talk through specialist cycles, test rides, fleet advice, cycle sales, maintenance packages, visits to our All Ability Clubs and bespoke cycling delivery.

Email: all.ability@bikeworks.org.uk

No child should be left behind when it comes to cycling.

Theo joined the Little Wormwood Scrubs All Ability Club with Full of Life, a local community centre, for his first ride on the new Veloplus.

The Veloplus

The Veloplus is a specialist platform cycle for wheelchair users. It allows people to ride without transferring out of their chair, making it one of the most important cycles in an inclusive fleet. Across Bikeworks All Ability Clubs, Veloplus cycles are among the most popular because they open up riding to people who may not be able to use a standard or adapted cycle.

At Little Wormwood Scrubs, the new Veloplus now becomes part of regular weekly provision.

“Our All Ability Clubs respond to the people who attend each week. The team know which specialist cycles are most needed locally and what equipment will widen access. Having a Veloplus permanently based at Little Wormwood Scrubs means more people can now ride as part of the weekly club.”

Jamie Lawson, Inclusive Cycling Advisor at Bikeworks

Full of Life

Full of Life has been part of the Little Wormwood Scrubs All Ability community, bringing local residents to ride, spend time outdoors and participate in a regular club offer. The new Veloplus strengthens what the club can provide for wheelchair users, families and local groups who come to the sessions.

The cycle has been made possible through local partnership between the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London Cycling Campaign and Lime’s Share The Joy Fund, with continued support from local stakeholders.

Little Wormwood Scrubs All Ability Club

Little Wormwood Scrubs All Ability Club is a regular community space where disabled people, families and local groups can access inclusive cycling using specialist cycles, adapted cycles and support from Bikeworks instructors.

This is what place-based inclusive cycling looks like in practice: local partners, a regular club, the right specialist cycle, and a community asset which can be used week after week.

For Theo, it started with a first ride on the Veloplus.

For the club, it means more people can now ride using the right specialist cycle at Little Wormwood Scrubs.

By Zoe Portlock, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Bikeworks

Twenty-five years ago, I began my career at a charity supporting people with learning disabilities and their families. I saw firsthand the exclusion faced across every part of life – from education and employment to sport, leisure, and community participation.

Decades later, the story is far too similar. Today, people with learning disabilities remain among the most excluded in society – more likely to experience loneliness, less likely to be in work, and more at risk of poor physical and mental health.

Driven by purpose, in response I established a supported employment and training service that still operates today, and went on to develop two social enterprises – one providing employment through fleet vehicle valeting, and the other, Bikeworks, using cycles as tools for inclusion, wellbeing, and connection.

But despite this – and the determined efforts of many across the years – people with learning disabilities continue to face persistent and systemic exclusion. The data lays bare just how entrenched the inequality remains:

• Just 5.1% of adults with a learning disability known to social care are in paid employment (NHS Digital, 2023).
• People with learning disabilities are twice as likely to be physically inactive compared to the general population (Sport England, 2020).

Why is this still acceptable?

At Bikeworks, we know what works. Our All Ability Clubs and events, and inclusive maintenance training, provide access to physical activity, independence, and confidence building. But this is still seen as niche – something unique, rather than the norm. For real change to happen, we need to scale inclusion, and that requires political will, sustained investment, and better data.

Here’s what needs to happen:

• Better recording of learning disability data across physical activity and health settings, so we understand participation – or lack of it – and respond accordingly.
• Targeted investment into inclusive cycling infrastructure and programmes, building on proven models that enable access and confidence.
• A national employment strategy that includes social enterprise and supported employment models – recognising the skills, talents, and aspirations of people with learning disabilities.
• A policy framework that treats inclusion not as a bolt-on, but as a baseline — embedded across sport, education, work, and community life.

This Learning Disability Week, we stand proudly with our east London neighbours at Bridget’s Café — run by ASL, a social enterprise championing employment and visibility.

Every week, the team rides with us at our All Ability Club. Every day, they show what’s possible when opportunity meets equity.

          

Let’s not just celebrate inclusion.

Let’s fund it, legislate for it, and embed it into our systems.

Because people with learning disabilities are not the problem.

The structures that exclude them are.

And those can, and must — change.

Footnote:

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Bikeworks has seen a marked increase in participation across our All Ability Club programme. At Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, attendance more than doubled in the past year alone — a rise of over 100%. Despite this visible and growing demand, we continue to fight for consistent revenue investment. This increase is not simply about popularity — it highlights a deeper issue: the continued absence of inclusive, community-level physical activity offers that meet the needs of disabled people and those with learning disabilities.