£1 million funding boost for British Cycling to be spent on more Sky Ride Local events

British Cycling is one of several sports governing bodies to have received a boost in funding from Sport England as a result of continued success in increasing the levels of people participating in the sport. The money – more than £1 million in British Cycling’s case – will be used for grassroots initiatives to help ensure a “lasting sporting legacy” beyond London 2012.

Other sports sharing £3.5 million to help them increase participation levels in the longer term are netball, running, canoeing and lacrosse.

Jennie Price, chief executive of Sport England, said: “Cycling, running and netball are three success stories for community sport. They show how it can be done. We are recognising their success through this extra investment.”

Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson MP, added: “These sports bodies have delivered on our key objective of driving up participation.

“The £3.5 million of additional funding for these sports is so that they can continue this work, capitalise on the added interest that comes with hosting the Olympic Games and help create a real sporting legacy.”

British Cycling intends to use the money - £1,058,000 – to get 12,000 more people riding their bikes each week, through providing funding for additional Sky Ride Local events, which it says were over-subscribed this year, proving that there is demand for them.

Olympic team pursuit champion and Rapha Condor Sharp rider Ed Clancy said: “I am delighted that British Cycling has been granted additional funding to develop its participation programmes.

“London 2012 is not only about athletes contesting Olympic and Paralympic medals, it is also about getting the nation active and leaving a lasting sport legacy for future generations.

“We have been particularly successful in getting people on their bikes through programmes like Sky Ride, Breeze, Go-Ride and our growing events calendar. I would love to see even more people get inspired by the Games to take up cycling as their new sport.”

The latest funding is additional to the £22.7 million that British Cycling already enjoys under its 2009-13 Whole Sport Plan.