Are you trying to say this?
Title: Building a Future of Belonging — A Message for Trustees
As trustees, we are the stewards of Cycling UK’s legacy — and of its future. Many of us, myself included, come from a long tradition of cycling. I’ve ridden all my life, and like many of our core members — older, white, male, lifelong cyclists — I will continue to ride whether or not there’s an organisation behind me. In a sense, I don't need Cycling UK to keep me pedalling.
But that’s precisely the point. The organisation doesn’t exist for me. It exists for the person who doesn’t yet know they can be a cyclist. For the family wondering whether the school run could be done by bike. For the person with a disability who doesn’t see cycling as an option. For the woman who doesn’t feel safe riding alone. For the young person who’s never owned a bike, and never been invited into this world.
And that brings me to a story that’s stuck with me. A friend of mine, a vicar, took on a church where the congregation had dwindled to just six older members, each with more than 50 years of attendance. He knew that if that church was to survive, it couldn’t simply serve those six — it had to open its doors wider. He focused on young families, on relevance, on welcoming people who didn’t yet feel they belonged. It wasn’t easy. It meant change. But within two years, that congregation had grown from six to thirty.
The lesson is clear. Institutions that survive — and thrive — are those that can adapt while honouring their roots. The vicar didn’t push out the faithful six. He invited them to be part of the renewal. That’s the invitation before us now, as trustees.
Our challenge is not just to maintain what we’ve inherited — it’s to transform it into something that can serve the next generation. That means prioritising inclusion, visibility, and cultural change. It means crafting a message that says clearly: you belong here, even if you’ve never seen yourself as a “cyclist.”
This is not about abandoning tradition. It’s about expanding the circle. As trustees, we must be brave enough to lead that change — not for ourselves, but for the movement’s future.
