Bike Club Start-up Grants

Overview

There is initially one Bike Club area in Northern Ireland with a development officer based in Belfast, serving Belfast City. The majority of grants awarded by Bike Club will be under £2,000. However, some exceptions may be made for groups who need to purchase more expensive equipment or who are reaching larger numbers of young people.

Priority will be given to groups applying from this location. However, there are some grants being reserved for projects from outside the initial priority areas. Groups successful in applying for these out of area grants must be setting up sustainable cycling activities for young people new to cycling from one of Bike Club’s target groups.

These are:

• Young people excluded from mainstream education and those who are at risk of offending
• Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET)
• 10-20 year olds with their families
• Young leaders
• Young people who traditionally have low levels of cycling such as: females; teenagers; young people with disabilities; young people from black and minority ethnic communities; young people living within deprived communities

Bike Club would highly recommend speaking to your closest Bike Club development officer or the Bike Club head office before submitting any applications regardless of where you are located.

Bike Club recognises that children and young people have different needs and has therefore tried to ensure its grant is as flexible as possible. Here are some examples of what may be funded:

• Capital costs to purchase any equipment needed to run a Bike Club, for example, bikes and helmets
• Costs towards building places to ride, for example, off-road courses, BMX jumps or ramps
• Costs for using freelance cycling instructors and bike mechanics
• Fees for cycle training. Bike Club would be happy to award grants for staff or volunteers to become cycle instructors or for young people to undergo cycle training (Bikeability, Go Mountain Bike)
• Costs contributing to cycle parking or secure storage

Please note these are just examples of what you can apply for. Your children or young people may have their own ideas. Please ask your Bike Club development officer for further advice.

Consider realistically the costs of equipment. This may require research with cycle shops. A guideline amount for a basic yet durable child’s bike may be around £100, a full-sized bike around £150 and a helmet around £20. These amounts will vary according to the quality and quantity required.