Southwarks 'Streets for People'
Cycling Initiatives
In July 2023, Southwark Council launched their Streets for People strategy. We were tasked by the Transport team with coordinating and supporting the cycling partners which were central to increasing access to bikes, cycle training and basic skills.
Initially, the task was to engage with the partners and understand the offer each of them had for the residents and workers in Southwark. The next step was to work with them to ensure these different schemes were seen and promoted as a unified opportunity to support people to become happy, confident cyclists.
The partners included JoyRiders for cycle training, Peddle My Wheels for bike ownership through subsidised voucher rental and second-hand bike markets, Community Cycle Works who offer maintenance workshops, training and route planning support and The Met Police, who were given funding to purchase bike marking kits.
The success of the cycling initiatives in the first 12 months saw the extension of the partner’s funding and we were kept on board to keep coordinating, supporting and helping the council with data collection and analysis. A key element of the continuing success is the way we coordinate the offers, as we can work across different council teams and connect the partners to other areas that can benefit from their offers, such as Public Health, Climate Team and Local Economies.
Since the creation of the Streets for People strategy, the partners have supported local events, such as Climate Week, street markets, public health pop-ups as well as our own event, Southwark Cycle Fest, which was first held in 2024.
In 2026, the partners continue to work hard to ensure anyone who lives, works or studies in Southwark can access cycling, with UpCYCLE LDN taking over the cycle training element.
The schemes are funded for a minimum of the next 2 years and we are proud to continue to support this fantastic work. helping Southwark increase cycling and reduce emissions across the borough.