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The partnership between British Cycling and HSBC UK has surpassed its target of getting two million more people on bikes by the end of 2020.
The two organisations will be extending their relationship into 2021, enabling HSBC UK to continue its support of the Great Britain Cycling Team on its journey to the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will also help British Cycling to capitalise on the enthusiasm for cycling as people return to work and school, ending the partnership ‘on a high’ in 2021.
In February this year, it was announced that the partnership would come to an end in 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has “severely disrupted” the partnership’s 2020 plans. It has therefore refocused its efforts, and since lockdown has been working to support the country to cycle more often, including:
– Free British Cycling membership for NHS workers
– Setting up the HSBC UK Let’s Ride Local microsite to help families get the most out of cycling during lockdown, as well as launching HSBC UK Ready Set Ride, a free online resource for parents to teach their children to ride a bike
– Providing advice and support to UK businesses on how they can help their employees stay active, and a 50% discount on British Cycling Commute memberships for HSBC UK customers
While the two organisations will continue to work closely, the relationship will change so more partners can join British Cycling and create a coalition of businesses to support more people to get active by getting on their bikes.
British Cycling chief executive Julie Harrington said: “British Cycling has a long-established reputation for setting and hitting ambitious targets – from winning the Tour de France to quadrupling our membership and working with HSBC UK to get two million more people cycling is a landmark moment in our history.
“I’m incredibly proud of what our two organisations have achieved in the past four years, and to surpass such an ambitious target given the disruption we’ve seen to our activities this year is a testament to both the quality of our programmes and initiatives and the tireless work and support of our staff, volunteers and participants.
“With the number of people cycling still significantly up on pre-pandemic levels, and the transformational Government focus we have seen on getting more people on bikes, there’s never been a more exciting time to be involved in cycling.
“We have bold plans for 2021 and beyond to ensure we harness that passion and give every community in Britain the opportunity to discover the joy of riding a bike. I’d like to express our thanks to HSBC UK for their continued support as we build greater sustainability into British Cycling by opening our doors to more partners who share our vision to transform Britain into a truly great cycling nation.”
HSBC UK chief executive, Ian Stuart, added: “We are very pleased to be able to extend our partnership with British Cycling, supporting the health and wellbeing of our customers, colleagues and communities through the COVID-19 crisis.
“From helping get two million more people on bikes to creating special support for NHS staff for their continued efforts, we are serious about creating a legacy through our partnership with British Cycling and we hope this ambitious project will fundamentally change the country’s approach to cycling.”
Further details on the partnership’s plans for 2021 will be announced in due course.
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