TRL conducted a process and impact evaluation of Bikeability training piloted under the Widening Participation Fund (WPF) through 44 organisations. The WPF is a £1.44m funding provided by the DfT to support The Bikeability Trust with its aim to increases access to Bikeability training among groups of children that are underrepresented in Bikeability projects typically delivered nationwide. Five priority areas in which uptake of Bikeability has historically been low were identified by The Bikeability Trust:
- Areas of deprivation
- Ethnic minority groups
- Level 3 Training
- Female teenagers;
- and Special education needs or disabilities (SEND).
The evaluation aimed to provide strong evidence on the effectiveness, impact, and success of the WPF to inform the business case for future Bikeability funding. This was achieved through a before-after training survey completed by participants, a pro-forma questionnaire completed by delivery organisations, and interviews with project leads to create four case studies.
Overall, the impact evaluation showed that the WPF, at the programme level, was successful in achieving both its aim to increase participation across the target areas (Outcome 1), and to increase participants confidence, perceived safety , and likelihood to cycle in future (Outcome 2). The process evaluation highlighted key challenges faced during the delivery and lessons from successful methods that should be considered for future Bikeability projects.
