The project – a collaboration with Sport England and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport - delivered more than 150 community cycling facilities and opportunities across England, making most difference to those with long-term health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia and depression.

Data shows the following condition-specific savings to the NHS over a five-year period:

• T2 Diabetes: £3.7m
• Depression: £3.5m 
• Reduced psychological distress: £1.18m
• Coronary heart disease: £1.12m
• Stroke: £1.08m
• Reduced GP visits: £834,131
• Back pain: £798,163
• Cancer: £350,616
• Dementia: £187,875
• Hip fractures: £145,168

More than 80% of the projects focus on children and young people, 41% target women and girls, 35% support low-income groups, and 41% engage people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

British Cycling, Scottish Cycling and Beicio Cymru are now calling for £30m of government investment to deliver more than 250 new community-based facilities across England, Scotland and Wales.

Jon Dutton, chief executive of British Cycling, said: ‘Places to Ride has demonstrated the power of targeted public investment. We have hundreds of stories alongside the raw data to show how people's lives – particularly those in underserved groups - have been and continue to be transformed by the project. It has increased cycling participation and narrowed inequalities, providing more opportunities in communities which needed it most.

‘This next phase will build on that proven model with high impact for relatively small investment. With £30m, we will deliver over 250 new or upgraded cycling facilities across England, Scotland and Wales, with a continued focus on inclusion, innovation and local need. Crucially, this investment will unlock significant match funding from local authorities, charities, commercial partners and communities themselves, ensuring public money goes much further. 

‘It will also align with national strategies on health, inclusion, active travel and levelling up, whilst playing a vital part in creating a lasting legacy across the home nations ahead of the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Départs.'

Caroline Spanton, chief executive of Beicio Cymru, added: ‘The evidence is clear: investment in cycling infrastructure saves public money, improves health outcomes and tackles inequality. What we need next is for this level of funding to expand into Wales Scotland and England at scale, so we can build more local facilities, reach more underserved communities, and ensure cycling plays a central role in Wales' long-term health and sport ambitions.'

Nick Rennie, chief executive of Scottish Cycling, said: ‘Impact reports from both the Places to Ride programme in England, and the Cycling Facilities Fund in Scotland, clearly demonstrate the impact that facility funding has on the health and wellbeing of the nation. There have been some fantastic facility developments in Scotland over the last five years, which have quickly become the centrepiece of communities, but we still have large portions of the country without a facility that is easily accessible, with more funding required to fill the gaps.

‘We fully support the ask from British Cycling and are committed to working collaboratively with partners to deliver a fund that helps transform England, Scotland and Wales into true nations of cyclists.'