The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) and Lime’s Share The Joy community grants programme, established to support grassroots cycling projects across London, marked its first anniversary yesterday with the announcement of its fourth round of funding.
In this latest round, 20 organisations fostering inclusive cycling across 16 London boroughs received a total of £49,450. Recipients include groups like the Haringey Schools Cycling League, Women of Colour Cycling Collective, and Ride For Freedom, among others.
This latest round brings the total awarded by the Share The Joy fund to £161,678, supporting over 58 grassroots cycling organisations in its inaugural year.
Share The Joy grants are awarded to groups and projects that demonstrate potential in one of three key categories: Health & Well-being, Accessibility & Inclusion, or Skills & Connectivity. Within these categories, priority is given to projects that support groups currently underrepresented in cycling or those that may face challenges in accessing traditional funding sources. A one year Share The Joy celebration event in Southwark last night (17th July) featured a guest panel discussing cycling diversity, the growth of dockless hire and the vital role in increasing cycling and cycling diversity in London the funded organisations play including London Walking & Cycling Commissioner, Dr Will Norman, London Borough of Hounslow Portfolio holder for Environment, Climate Change and Transport, Cllr Katherine Dunne and the Chair of the Women of Colour Cycling Collective, while attendees and representatives of the funded organisations cut a Share The Joy cake.
Victoria Hvartchilkova, from Ride For Freedom, one of the recipients of the grant, said:
“This funding will be truly transformative for the survivors of modern slavery that we support through our Freewheel programme. For those who have endured profound trauma, Freewheel offers more than just the ability to cycle – it provides a pathway to healing, independence, and renewal. Cycling becomes a powerful tool for restoring freedom, rebuilding confidence, and reclaiming dignity. With this grant, we’ll be able to reach more survivors, helping them take meaningful steps toward reintegration, connection, and a future they can shape for themselves. Every ride they take becomes a quiet act of courage, a symbol of resilience, and a powerful reminder that recovery and joy are possible,”
Cai Wang, Women of Colour Cycling Collective Trustee, added:
We’re seeing more and more women of colour on bikes in the capital, which is a joyous thing to witness. Even more so knowing we’re part of the effort to make it happen in the first place. One of our members went from learning how to ride to taking part in the London to Brighton Bike Ride, all in the space of three months, thanks to a programme part-funded by our Share the Joy grant. It’s so rewarding to have played a part in such an achievement and we’re working hard to make sure more women from under-represented backgrounds get the chance to have these sorts of experiences,”
More information on the Share The Joy fund here.
