Case Study – Free Bikes
Organisation name: The Active Wellbeing Society
Contact name: Julian Sanchez
Role / job title: National Cycle Lead
Partnership / collaborators involved: Active Essex
Synopsis:
Three pilots targeted at different geographies and communities, all succeeded in enabling increased physical activity while at same time created a culture of cycling where it previously either didn’t exist or was limited to certain groups. The barrier of affordability was removed by providing a bike, lock, helmet, and light as well as wrap around support to build confidence and motivation.
This has resulted in improved health and wellbeing for the individual participants but also has acted as a catalyst for local systems partners to take a more holistic approach to place-based interventions.
The Story:
The challenge
High levels of physical inactivity in deprived and underserved areas has meant that in some communities, people have not been able to cycle as a means of travel. This is because they couldn’t afford a bike and therefore were prevented from being more active. But, also because there were limited opportunities to access cycling for women and people from a minority ethnic backgrounds. People were not able to access services and opportunities outside of their immediate area and may also not have been engaged with in their local communities.
What was done
Bikes were targeted at the people who were in the most deprived wards on a loan to own basis, that is people were given a free bike, training to build confidence as well as support to boost motivation. The bikes were initially on a loan basis, however, if the participants used the bikes regularly over a year and thus established a new cycling habit, they were gifted the bike.
The approach taken
The approach taken was to set up a programme, which managed a pipeline of bike deliveries, data and insight. Local teams were recruited to work in communities, to build relationships with participants and local systems partners as well as to represent the local projects to the programme.
Impact and outcomes
The schemes have had a transformational impact in the communities they serve, people who were not interested in cycling now cycle regularly. Participants report that they have lost weight, feel healthier and fitter as well as reducing their consumption of prescription medicines. Many participants have used the bikes to access employment and training opportunities. At a community level, higher levels of volunteering and engagement have been enabled and at a system level, the data from the GPS trackers has been used as an input into a Health Impact Assessment which has monetised the health benefits and potential huge savings to the NHS.
What changed as a result?
The schemes were independently evaluated and have demonstrated that providing free bikes and support in the most deprived areas is actually a very cost effective way to reduce the risks of non-communicable diseases and returns excellent value for money for the tax payer. We have interesting data to share at the conference to demonstrate this impact, including a video featuring participants. The projects prove the value of the intervention and start to foreground the links between behaviour change and system change at a place level.
Learning and Relevance
Why this matters
This matters because, the projects focus on building confidence and cycling skills in people who would not otherwise be given sufficient consideration by the active travel system and sometimes by the public health system. Affordability as a barrier to cycling in deprived areas is often overlooked. Moreover, the evidence around family cycling demonstrates that there is a need for more systems knitting to join up local active travel to schools initiatives. The insight that can be shared may encourage a more critical examination of local systems and where the gaps lay, as well as providing a proven example of what can be achieved.
The projects contribute towards the ‘democratisation’ of cycling, by increasing participation among under represented groups. Furthermore, the projects can be understood as a component of a suite of place based interventions which taken together can have a greater impact than any individual project. Other activities can coalesce around the projects to offer local residents a more integrated and joined up approach to increasing physical activity.
Another perspective on why this matters is not just about joining local systems at a place level, but also the active travel, wellbeing and infrastructure systems, where there are opportunities to develop more joined up interventions which reinforce objectives rather than appear contradictory.
What would you do differently
next time? Build more support in other locally trusted organisations so that there can be even more integration and alignment of agendas as well as creating the space for emergence in local systems.