Our First Funded Project Is Complete – And What a Start!

Today marks a pretty special milestone for Community Ride Project CIC as we officially bring our very first grant-funded project to a close!

Our Ladies Only Confidence Building Courses, made possible through funding from the Staffordshire County Council Little Sparks Fund, have now been completed, and what an incredible experience they have been.

When we started Community Ride Project CIC, our aim was simple: to use bikes and the outdoors to bring people together, build confidence and create opportunities for more people to experience everything that cycling can offer.

This project has been our first opportunity to turn that vision into a funded programme, and seeing it happen for real has been incredibly rewarding.

More Than Just Learning Bike Skills

Across the project, we welcomed women with different levels of experience, confidence and riding backgrounds.

The sessions weren’t about how fast you could ride or how technical a trail you could tackle. They were about creating a relaxed and supportive environment where everyone could learn, ask questions, challenge themselves and progress at their own pace.

Throughout the courses we worked on fundamental mountain bike skills, body position, braking, cornering, bike control and trail confidence.

But some of the best moments weren’t necessarily about technique.

They were the smiles after somebody achieved something they weren’t sure they could do. The conversations between riders. The encouragement within the group. And seeing confidence grow as the sessions progressed.

That’s exactly what Community Ride Project CIC was created to achieve.

Thank You to Everyone Who Took Part

First and foremost, a massive thank you to every single lady who joined us.

You turned up, got involved, supported one another and were willing to step outside your comfort zones.

For some, simply booking onto a group mountain bike session was a big step. For others, it was about overcoming particular challenges on the bike.

Whatever brought you to the project, we hope you left with more confidence, some new skills, new riding friends and, most importantly, a desire to keep riding.

You made the project what it was.

Thank You Staffordshire County Council

A huge thank you must go to Staffordshire County Council and the Little Sparks Fund for believing in the project and providing the funding that allowed us to make these sessions available.

For a new Community Interest Company, receiving support for our first funded project was a huge moment.

Funding projects like this removes barriers to participation and gives people the opportunity to try something they may otherwise never have considered.

The feedback we’ve received throughout the project has shown us just how valuable these opportunities can be.

Thank You to the Cannock Chase Team

We’d also like to say a huge thank you to the Cannock Chase team for working with us and helping us make these sessions happen.

Having fantastic outdoor spaces to deliver projects is one thing, but having people who are willing to work with community organisations and support what we’re trying to achieve makes an enormous difference.

We’re extremely grateful for the support.

Thank You Grounds Café

Another big thank you goes to Grounds Café for supporting the project.

Community projects are rarely achieved by one organisation alone. Local businesses and organisations getting behind projects like ours help us create a much better experience for everyone involved.

Thank you for being part of our first project and supporting what we’re trying to build.

And This Is Only the Beginning…

Completing our first funded project feels like a big milestone, but for us this is very much the beginning.

The incredible feedback we’ve received has only strengthened our belief that there is a real need for projects that make cycling, mountain biking and the outdoors more accessible.

We’re already exploring new funding opportunities and developing ideas for future projects, including more confidence-building sessions, community rides, youth opportunities and programmes designed to help even more people experience life on two wheels.

If you missed these sessions, don’t worry.

We’re working hard behind the scenes to create more opportunities.

Follow Community Ride Project CIC on social media and keep an eye on our website for future project announcements, funded sessions and community events.

To every rider, supporter, organisation and person who helped us get our first funded project off the ground:

Thank you.

Our first project is complete.

Now, onto the next one!