Cycling Minds in Hexham, Northumberland, has received a donation of £3,078 from the VINCI UK Foundation for an e-bike battery charging unit for its fleet of e-bikes – the charitable organisation uses e-bikes to enhance the mental and physical health of its beneficiaries and offers opportunities to develop transferrable skills as ride leaders and mechanics, enabling them to find employment in or outside the cycling industry and active travel space.

Cycling Minds (CM) was founded in 2021 by three Hexham residents with a love of cycling to use this sport to help people facing struggles in their lives such as poor mental health, unemployment or special educational needs. The organisation’s Step On(e) guided ride programme sees beneficiaries being able to borrow an e-bike and be taken on rides around the beautiful Northumberland countryside accompanied by CM’s trained ride leaders.

This initiative aims to boost their mental and physical wellbeing. Furthermore, it aims to entice participants to become a part of CM as an organisation, opening doors for them to engage with the local cycling community. CM offers bike maintenance and ride leadership training for anyone wanting to become a volunteer, including people who started out as beneficiaries.

“Social isolation and a lack of self-confidence is a real issue for our beneficiaries and giving them a chance to cycle in a group has notable benefits in both these areas, while also improving their fitness,” explains CM’s founder, Toby Price. “We use e-bikes because they are a real leveller because anyone can jump on one and come for a ride with us, whatever their fitness.”

In addition to the financial contribution, Cycling Minds will receive the support of a VINCI UK Foundation Sponsor, David Pallent (From Actemium Automation Teesside), who is looking forward to involving his entire business unit. With some keen cyclists in his midst, he is excited to get his team and CM working collaboratively to make a difference in their community. 

“I’m really excited about getting involved with Cycling Minds. The team at CM are doing really important work for our young people across the northeast and I know my team at Actemium Automation Teesside are really keen on getting stuck in and making a difference.”

The VINCI UK Foundation was founded in 2016 with the mission to strengthen communities by improving access to employment, housing and mobility for society’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable people.

Since then, the VINCI UK Foundation has combined almost £1.3 million in financial support with the practical skills and expertise of VINCI employees to help over 240 charities or community projects championing social inclusion across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Find out more about Cycling Minds and the VINCI UK Foundation.