British Cycling Announces New Diversity Programme

British Cycling has launched a new initiative aimed at addressing the diversity gap within the sport in Britain.

The organisation says the new long-term project will place a particular focus on increasing representation from black and minority ethnic people within the racing community, volunteer network, recreation programmes and the organisation’s own workforce.

British Cycling says it is working alongside consultants from Inclusive Employers, and will publish a new diversity and inclusion framework in December. It has also confirmed that its progress will be overseen by an external and independent Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, and has called on interested parties to express their interest in joining. 

The organisation says will work towards ‘diversity in all forms, including ethnicity, gender, disability and LGBTQ’, with the news coming after it published its first Transgender and Non-Binary Participation Policy and commissioned new research with Sport England into the cycling landscape for disabled people. British Cycling also says further projects aimed at encouraging more people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds to participate in cycling activities will be announced soon.

“While we have made great strides as an organisation to tackle the gender gap in our sport in recent years, it remains the case that too many people from black and minority ethnic communities simply do not feel like they belong in our sport, and that is something which we simply must change,” said Rod Findlay, Business Services Director, British Cycling.

“We are thankful to Inclusive Employers for their support up to this point, and we continue to make good progress on what will be the organisation’s first, long-term diversity strategy, which will be published before the end of this year. 

“We cannot fulfil our ambition of becoming a great cycling nation unless our sport is truly reflective of Britain’s diverse communities, and I want to assure our members, workforce and cycling fans everywhere that this will be an integral part of all of our work in the months and years to come.”

British Cycling says it will also establish an internal working group to coordinate its response and work to increase the diversity of its wider workforce.