Our vision for women’s cycling 2013-2020 - One year on
A JOURNEY OF INSPIRATION AND OPPORTUNITY Women’s cycling strategy One year on
Supported by
1
2 A Journey of Inspiration and Opportunity
Our vision for women’s cycling 2013-2020 - One year on
More women riding, racing and running the sport A year on from the launch of our strategy, the momentum behind women’s sport is building as we continue to make significant progress towards our ambitious target to get one million more women cycling by 2020.
• Stimulated growth at every level in cycling through making our participation programmes, coaching and leadership courses and events calendars more accessible with improved insight and marketing.
Our strategy addresses every aspect of cycling and, having set the target in March 2013, we are encouraged by our progress to date and excited for the future as we continue to tackle the historical gender imbalance by making women’s cycling a priority for growth and support.
• Granted equal pay in major events organised by British Cycling, such as the upcoming UCI BMX Supercross event in Manchester, where all riders finishing 1st to 8th will receive the same money in both male and female categories. This is ahead of other rounds in the UCI BMX Supercross series.
This one-year update highlights how we are already seeing significant growth – from influencing manufacturers and event organisers to driving increased elite and grassroots participation. In the past 12 months, we have: • Worked closely with partners from the public, private and charity sectors to improve attitudes to investing in women’s cycling and to embrace the women’s market with new opportunities to ride and race. This includes the first British international stage race for women in May and influencing the world body for cycling – the UCI – to spend more time on developing racing and commercial interest in women’s cycling with the introduction of a one day race as part of the Tour De France in 2014.
• Recruited two female nonexecutive directors to our board, adding valuable expertise on risk management, public affairs and communications. This 12-month update – which looks back at our seven key indicators of progress – highlights major areas of change that British Cycling has influenced and implemented in the past year. If you have any views on the report or would like to contribute to women’s cycling, email: inspiringwomen@britishcycling.org.uk Bob Howden President, British Cycling
3
4 A Journey of Inspiration and Opportunity
Our vision for women’s cycling 2013-2020 - One year on
More women cycling more often
Creating opportunities to ride and race
Since March 2013, we have witnessed a large increase in women taking up cycling across all of our programmes and we will provide a full statistical overview of our progress towards the end of the year.
We are continuing to work closely with race and event organisers to provide appropriate facilities and opportunities for entry level riders as an introduction to competitive and non-competitive events such as sportives.
We know that the proportion of female participation on our programmes is higher than the national average as, according to Active People results, the current proportion of women cycling once a week for recreational purposes is 27% - that’s over 500,000 women in England alone. Of the total attendances on British Cycling recreational programmes, 40% have been made by women. Over the last year, more than 84,000 women have engaged with British Cycling’s recreational cycling programmes, including Sky Ride, Go-Ride, Breeze and Social Cycling Groups. Following the end of Sport England and National Lottery funding partnership, Breeze has now been mainstreamed into British Cycling’s recreational cycling programmes, and is recognised as a major contributor to the 2020 vision.
This work is influencing a gradual shift towards more event opportunities for women across competitive and noncompetitive events, and we are starting to see an increase in female participation. Almost one in five entrants via British Cycling’s online events calendar for noncompetitive events are female. That’s a significant change from only a couple of years ago where women’s participation was hardly visible in some of these events.
In youth cycling, 40% of participants in Go-Ride sessions over the past 12 months are female. We have rolled out Go-Ride sessions for women and girls-only, which are now available in every region of the country. Since being established, these sessions have provided over 2,300 opportunities for women and girls to take part. The first ever female-only Go-Ride Racing events were delivered in January and February 2014, while over the past year, we have trained 250 Young Volunteers, with women representing 40% of the volunteers.
5
6 A Journey of Inspiration and Opportunity
Our vision for women’s cycling 2013-2020 - One year on
A pathway that keeps women engaged As the national governing body, we are putting in a huge effort with independent event organisers to ensure there are more opportunities available for women to compete at all levels, and that the standard of competition is as high as possible. This is relevant across all aspects of event organisation from facilities, to location, to the size of field competing. Of course, this also means equal reward, which is why we’re delighted to be in a position where we can say we are leading the charge at this year’s UCI BMX Supercross event in Manchester. Prize money will be the same for all finalists – riders in 1st to 8th positions – in both the men’s and women’s events, putting us ahead of the other rounds in the series.
This summer will also see the first ever Women’s Tour take to Britain’s roads, with the world’s best riders excited to come and experience a 2:1 UCI ranked event – the highest available – in May. The inaugural event, which will begin in Northamptonshire on 7 May, and conclude on Sunday 11 May, will be a fantastic addition to the British racing calendar. As an organisation, British Cycling has worked closely with the organisers Sweetspot to identify the best calendar slot and lobbied the UCI for the highest category a start-up event could attain. We will also be helping to promote the event as a great experience for fans to get involved. More event organisers providing more opportunities, paired with more women committing to race in these events and broaden the competitive field, will go a long way to helping British Cycling achieve its ambition.
More women running the sport
More women involved in governing the sport
Increasing female members
Campaigning and commuting
Since March 2013, British Cycling has increased its efforts to recruit more women into the important roles of coaching, leading and tutoring across all areas of cycling.
Amendments to the organisation’s constitution at British Cycling’s national council were made by representatives in November 2013, allowing a significant change to the make-up of British Cycling’s Board.
Since March 2013, almost 3,000 female members have joined British Cycling, representing a 28% growth in female members year-on-year. This now matches the male membership growth rate and represents a staggering increase from just three years ago when British Cycling female membership stood at 4,800, but now totals over 13,000.
Our ongoing research continues to show that over a third of our female members cite concerns about safety as a key barrier to getting on a bike more often.
Effective instruction at every level is crucial to the development of riders and of the enjoyment they are likely to garner from cycling. With this in mind, we are pleased to have trained 40 women to be cycle training instructors, 75 women as MTB Leaders and over 200 female coaches through both mixed gender and womenonly courses, which have been introduced for the first time this year. In November 2013, we delivered a free webinar for coaches about Coaching for Women and Girls, which was accessed by nearly 1,000 coaches. Our coach education team has also influenced the NHS to amend its guidelines on cycling during pregnancy, championed by a great role model Sarah Storey.
Shifting from having 10 solely elected Board members, British Cycling can now elect up to six members and can appoint three NonExecutive Directors. Marian Lauder MBE and Alex Russell have been confirmed as the first two Non-Executive Directors following a stringent recruitment process which assessed the values of several candidates – male and female - from various industry sectors. A further director will be recruited later in 2014, a year ahead of schedule. We are continuing to look at ways to encourage better representation at all levels of governance, and we are working closely with our 10 recognised regions to ensure gender parity is a realistic goal across all of our regional boards and at national council. We are also putting significant time and resource into encouraging the future leaders through the establishment of our National Youth Forum with young women representing seven of the 12 representatives on the forum.
This represents significant progress towards our goal of getting a target of 25,000 female members by 2020. Over 90% of British Cycling’s female members are riding at least once a week: up 20% on this time last year, with 43% riding at least three times a week. Almost half of our female members are in a cycling club.
7
We are continuing to increase our campaigning efforts. In February 2014, we outlined our vision for making Britain a true cycling nation at a high-profile event in Parliament involving MPs, Ministers, Shadow Ministers and influential stakeholders. Time to #ChooseCycling sets out British Cycling’s 10-point plan to truly transform Britain. British Cycling is calling for strong leadership and sustained investment from all political parties. Our plan sets out the practical measures that are needed to make cycling an attractive and viable option for millions more people. #ChooseCycling is about fostering a culture of mutual respect and creating a better environment for people who cycle now and for everyone who would like to travel by bike more often.
8 A Journey of Inspiration and Opportunity
Our vision for women’s cycling 2013-2020 - One year on
Women in cycling: Case Studies
Molly Pattison
Judy Robinson
There is no better example of the good work British Cycling is doing to get more women and girls into the sport than with its Go-Ride programme, which has a healthy gender split with nearly 40% of participants female.
Judy got back into cycling after an incredible fifty year break, proving that it’s never too late to get back into something you once enjoyed. After training as a Breeze champion in September 2011, she became a founding member of Breeze Network Bradford.
Go-Ride Volunteer
The story of 14-year-old Molly Pattison highlights just what can be achieved when young people dedicate themselves to opportunities available through Go-Ride clubs. Molly got involved with Tiverton BMX Go-Ride club a couple of years ago and got stuck into racing. However, at the beginning of last year, Molly fell ill and was no longer able to ride her bike. Not to be deterred, Molly got involved with the Cycling Award for Young Volunteers and helped out with all aspects of the club. She has now started her own BMX team, securing funds from sponsors and an enthusiastic team of 20 riders. When asked directly, what volunteering has done for her, Molly’s response was telling: “The most important thing for me is that it has helped to build my confidence. People take me seriously; I’m listened to, my voice is heard, and my suggestions are taken on board. “I’ve now started up my own BMX race team, where I’ve raised the money and got 20 riders from all over the south west riding for my team; we are ready to race!”
Breeze Champion
Now, having led rides in and around her local area for almost two and a half years, Judy is one of a handful of champions to reach an incredible milestone. By organising over one hundred bike rides she has now been welcomed into the ‘Breeze Hall of Fame’, having delivered over 100 bike rides to date. ‘It’s a staggering figure,’ says Natalie Justice who manages the Breeze programme. ‘And Judy says she has no plans to give up any time soon either! We’re truly grateful for her efforts, and inspired by her success.’ And it’s not just the team at Breeze HQ singing Judy’s praises – the ladies she takes out on her rides have nothing but praise for her too. Jane Lewis nominated Judy for a VIP day with Victoria Pendleton at Cycletta Cheshire back in May 2013, saying ‘Judy is a truly inspirational champion. Despite being well into her seventies, she’s like a Duracell battery – small and packed with energy! She has a lovely personality and is so welcoming to everyone who joins her rides, taking them out on their bikes all year round, whatever the weather’.
“The best thing about cycling is that anyone can do it, and in whatever form they like. I’m looking forward to seeing even more women riding bikes and, most importantly, enjoying every moment.” Jess Varnish
London Olympian & Breeze Ambassador
9
10 A Journey of Inspiration and Opportunity
Julia Gilbert Commissaire
While the Great Britain Cycling Team has enjoyed huge success on the track, there are hundreds of women working tirelessly behind the scenes. Julia Gilbert is a fine example: having recently become the first woman in the UK to pass the new road Elite National Commissaire course, she has now joined an exclusive group of high-ranking officials in the cycling world. She started her career in officiating by helping at the Welwyn Track League. “The more I did the more I enjoyed it,” says Julia. “The chief commissaire at one of the local open meetings asked if I was interested in becoming a commissaire and pointed me towards the Assistant Commissaire course. Since then I’ve worked on track, road and circuit races around the country and gained experience in many different and varied roles.” These include chief commissaire for the British National Track Championships, commissairing at road and track Olympic and Paralympic events at London 2012, plus various roles at the Tour Series and the Tour of Britain. “Being a commissaire at London 2012 was a dream come true,” Julia added. “The atmosphere in the velodrome was incredible and something I’ll never forget. It was a huge honour.”
Our vision for women’s cycling 2013-2020 - One year on 11
12 A Journey of Inspiration and Opportunity
British Cycling Stuart Street Manchester M11 4DQ T: +44 (0) 161 274 2000 E: inspiringwomen@britishcycling.org.uk britishcycling.org.uk