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Glasgow groups awarded share of £150k to promote cycling
The funding comes from the newly established Wheels in Motion Fund, aimed at encouraging physical activity through sports such as skateboarding, roller-skating, and scootering.
This is part of an initiative by Glasgow City Council, which began in January, to support projects that get local residents, especially from underrepresented groups, involved in these sports.
(Image: Supplied)
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Funding amounts between £1,000 and £10,000 were made available to eligible projects.
The initiative, administered by the charity Glasgow Life, aims to enhance health, social interaction, and environmentally friendly travel.
Among the benefactors of the fund is CWAS (Cycling Without Age Scotland).
The organisation plans to use the funds to purchase a trishaw and a storage facility, enabling more elderly and disabled people to enjoy outdoor activities.
Ray Burr, CWAS' operations and development manager, said: "We're thrilled to have been chosen to receive support through the Wheels in Motion Fund.
"Our free e-bike trishaw rides are exceptionally popular with both passengers and the volunteers who run the service.
"This simple yet powerful experience helps to combat loneliness by giving passengers the chance to interact with others in a meaningful and enjoyable way.
"Beyond reducing isolation, the initiative connects different generations, strengthens communities, and encourages people to get active – and many of our pilots are in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s.
"We're also very proud of the influence we're having on people to switch to using bikes and e-bikes for shorter journeys."
Other groups set to benefit from the Wheels in Motion Fund include the Church House family support centre in Bridgeton and the Central and West Integration Network.
Church House will use its grant to introduce young people from deprived backgrounds to BMX biking and the design, build, and maintenance of skateboards.
The Central and West Integration Network will use the funding to help asylum seekers and refugees sign up for free Nextbike memberships across Glasgow.
The network described having access to a bike as "life-changing" for asylum seekers and refugees, who often have to spend their £7 daily asylum allowance on transport.
The initiative is a part of Glasgow City Council's Cycling and Urban Sports Strategy, which aims to improve the health and well-being of Glasgow's residents by promoting active travel and a transformation in travel behaviour.
Councillor Angus Millar, Glasgow City Council convener for climate and transport, said: "I'm delighted that so many organisations received Wheels in Motion funding, which will help more people get involved in cycling and wheeled urban sports.
"By removing barriers to participation, these grants will help tackle health inequalities and support our environmental ambitions by making it easier to travel around the city sustainably."
It comes ahead of Bike Week 2025, Running from June 9 to June 15, which is Cycling UK's annual celebration of the benefits of cycling.
The fund also serves as a follow-up to the Go Cycle Glasgow Fund, a project that encouraged more than 1,450 city residents of all ages to take up cycling.
(Image: Supplied)
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Glasgow is the only UCI Bike City in Scotland and a world-leading cycling city, having staged the first-ever UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023, which had an economic impact of £129 million for the city.
Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council convenor for culture, sport, and international relations, said: "Cycling has so many benefits, not least the positive effect it has on our mental and physical health, as well as the planet when we get on a bike.
"Glasgow Life is committed to improving people's mental and physical well-being through culture and active living, and the scale of support the Wheels in Motion Fund will provide in communities throughout our city shows cycling is a force for good which has the power to change lives."
