Cuts in Bikeability Funding
Posted: 25th January
Funding for Bikeability Instructor Training Courses is going to be harder to come by after the Department for Transport announced cuts in a recent spending review.
The changes, which will come into force in April 2011, will see a reduction in the amount of available bursaries for Bikeability training, which were previously available to people interested in becoming a registered Bikeability Instructor.
However, until 31st March 2011, instructor bursary grants are still available for Cycle Training Instructor Courses, meaning that courses planned for the 26th and 27th March and 2nd and 3rd of April will be the last available opportunity for learners to access funding for a British Cycling Cycle Training Course.
Funding – in the form of a grant - usually contributes £300 towards the overall cost of £500 to become a qualified Bikeability Instructor and it has proved to be positive way for learners to become qualified instructors.
The changes in regulation are bound to have an effect, but British Cycling’s Senior Coaching and Education Officer Sarah Cleall-Harding has accepted the news by urging people to take up course places before the cut in funding comes into force.
She said: “This is a great opportunity to train as a Cycle Training Instructor and the introduction of the bursary by the DFT in 2010 has provided many aspiring Instructors with the opportunity to become qualified.
“Although it is a shame this scheme is coming to an end, it has opened the doors for many instructors and increased the profile of Cycle Training. I would strongly encourage those people who have been thinking about becoming an instructor to go for it, as something as good as the bursary is unlikely to come along for instructor training in the near future”
The Government has maintained its pledge to support over 275,000 Bikeability places for children in Year 6, while the Department for Transport hopes to continue to support the running of the Bikeability scheme and the National Standard for Cycle Training that underpins it.
However, as part of its spending review, the current instructor bursary grants will not be extended beyond 31 March 2011, when most other existing arrangements under the Cycling England programme cease. The instructor bursary grant has been successful in generating a significant increase in cycle trainers, with now over 6,000 National Standard Instructors registered.
If you require any further information, please contact cycletraining@britishcycling.org.uk
For more information on available courses, click here.
