TfL awards funding to 78 new community groups to help unlock the barriers to walking and cycling for Londoners

• Projects aim to help unlock the barriers to walking and cycling among traditionally underrepresented groups     
•  Funding awarded across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London with a wide variety of projects, including walking tours for older Londoners, cycling classes for deaf people and a walking group to encourage black men to walk and talk in a safe space 
•  Enabling more people from all backgrounds to walk and cycle is vital to creating a healthier, more sustainable transport network  

Transport for London (TfL) and the London Marathon Foundation have awarded more than £575,000 of funding to 78 new projects and 69 continuing projects run by community groups, as part of the Walking and Cycling Grants London (WCGL) programme. Each investment will make a real difference to communities across the capital, allowing organisations to deliver projects and programmes to enable more people to enjoy the benefits of active travel. More than £198,000 of the funding has been awarded for 69 existing projects to continue their work in the community.   

WCGL aims to encourage more people to walk and cycle, helping to break down the barriers that prevent people from getting active and helping to make London a more sustainable, inclusive, and healthy city. All projects give people the chance to connect with their local communities, learn new skills, get active and improve their physical and mental health. 

The successful projects target a wide range of traditionally underrepresented groups. These include disabled people, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, those who are disadvantaged (which includes issues such as low-income, lack of outside space nearby and home living space, those in receipt of benefits, free school meals and other social issues), homeless people, refugees, asylum seekers and those part of the LGBTQ+ community. The projects aim to enable participants to feel confident while walking and cycling in London. Funding has been awarded to schemes covering all 32 boroughs and the City of London.  

New projects awarded funding this year include:   

Wellbeing Walkabouts - Express Tuition Ltd, Enfield - Walking project aiming to support ethnic minorities and disadvantaged women by delivering weekly guided walks to improve their physical, mental, and social wellbeing 

Silver Walking and Cycling fun and fitness - Silverfit, Richmond - Guided walking and Nordic walking sessions for older people within three local parks in Richmond. The group also holds sessions for indoor and outdoor cycling 

Hummingbird Walking Group - Hummingbird Senior Citizens Club, Lewisham - Project aiming to support the disadvantaged, ethnic minorities and people over 60. The project will empower older adults from Caribbean communities to improve their mental wellbeing by making walking more accessible and creating opportunities for social interaction to reduce social isolation  

Sustainable Sanctuaries - Faiths Forum for London, Brent, Camden, City of Westminster, Harrow, Newham, Waltham Forest - The Cycle to Worship project promotes environmental sustainability within places of worship while encouraging cycling participation in underrepresented groups across London  

Deaf Cycling - Empowering Deaf Society, Newham and Redbridge - Cycling aiming to support deaf people to take part in cycle training sessions, group cycles and excursions with a BSL interpreter 

Black Men Walking - Social Inclusion Recovery Group, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark - Walking project supporting Black African and Caribbean Men aged 35-80 to walk, meet others and talk in a safe space about personal, physical health, mental health and wellbeing issues.  

Bike Dykes - Bike Dykes, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham - Cycling aiming to support the LGBTQ+ community, women, trans and non-binary people to access and increase confidence in cycling. Activities include guided bike rides, bike maintenance and a celebration event  

Brent Health Walks - Ashford Place, Brent - Walking project aiming to support ethnic minorities, disadvantaged, disability groups and those with long term illnesses to improve mental and physical wellbeing  

Somali Senior Citizens Walking and Cycling club - Somali Senior Citizens Club, Tower Hamlets - Walking and cycling to support 40 members of elderly Somali residents of the borough to increase confidence and lessen isolation amongst the 'younger older people' group. Activities include cycle skills training, art sessions, park and museum visits  

The scheme is jointly funded in partnership with The London Marathon Foundation and is part of a five-year programme to inspire Londoners to cycle and walk, with many health benefits for people and communities. Walking and cycling can have a range of benefits for people's mental and physical health, including an improved mood, feeling more alert and enjoying discovering new parts of London. Since it began, TfL's Walking and Cycling Grants London programme has supported 339 projects across the London boroughs. This has encouraged more than 77,000 participants across London to walk and cycle.  

London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said: "Walking and cycling are great ways for people to keep active, stay healthy and connect with their local communities. I'm delighted that the grants programme is supporting these important projects, which are removing barriers to active travel for traditionally underrepresented groups.

"The Mayor and I will continue to work with community groups to make the capital's transport network more sustainable and accessible, building a fairer, greener and better London for everyone."

Miranda Leedham, Head of Customer Marketing & Behaviour Change at TfL, said: "We are thrilled to award grants to 78 new projects and continue to make walking and cycling accessible for everyone. Walking and Cycling Grants London has played a vital role in increasing representation and we're looking forward to seeing the results of these inspiring projects, which are breaking down the barriers for people from diverse backgrounds to travel more actively around the capital." 

Catherine Anderson, London Marathon Foundation's Executive Director, said: "Our vision is to inspire activity, and for more than three years, our partnership with TfL's Walking and Cycling Grants London has been making walking and cycling more accessible for communities across the capital. We're so pleased to be supporting more than 140 new and continuing projects throughout the next year, to create more opportunities for people from marginalised communities to participate in walking and cycling - bringing the physical, mental and social benefits to many more people." 

Danny Maher, Chief Executive of Ashford Place, said: "Hundreds of Brent residents will be walking towards better health, improved wellbeing, creating new friendships and social networks, and gain new confidence as a result of the TfL Walking & Cycling grant that we have received."   

Gokhan Omur, Executive Director at Express Tuition Ltd, said: "We at Express Tuition are really excited about starting 'Wellbeing Walkabouts.' We want to help migrant women in North London feel better, make friends, and learn English. It's great to work with Groundwork London and TfL on this. We can't wait to see the good changes this project will bring."   

Aynur, a participant at Express Tuition Ltd, said: "I am looking forward to joining 'Wellbeing Walkabouts.' This program will help me get fit, meet people, and improve my English. It's more than just walking; it's a chance for me to feel part of the community."   

Last week, TfL published new data that showed the the number of daily cycle journeys increased to 1.26 million in 2023, up by 6.3 per cent since 2022. TfL and the boroughs to continue to expand London's strategic cycle network at pace, with 24 per cent of Londoners now living within 400m of the network, up from 5 per cent in 2016. Construction works continue on Cycleway 50, Cycleway 23 and Cycleway 4, with many more routes being developed in partnership with boroughs.  

Notes to editors

• The full WCGL programme will be administered by Groundwork London, with details found on the TfL website here 
• The total grant funding for Walking & Cycling Grants London 2023-24 is £575,000