The London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT) and Transport for London (TfL) have announced funding of more than £416,000 has been awarded to 87 new community groups in London, supporting projects that will increase participation in walking and cycling, especially for underrepresented communities. An additional £118,000 has also been awarded to 60 existing projects to continue their work in the community.

The 87 new projects will target a wide range of traditionally underrepresented groups such as people with disabilities, ethnically diverse communities, homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers, enabling them to feel confident while walking and cycling in London. This includes walking tours for older Londoners, bike maintenance classes for women and cycling and walking sessions for Deaf people.

The funding comes from TfL’s Walking and Cycling Grants London programme, which supports community walking and cycling projects across the capital, so many more people can enjoy the social, physical and mental health benefits of active travel. TfL launched the Walking and Cycling Grants London programme in 2015, and The London Marathon Charitable Trust became a partner in 2020 – awarding £2 million to support the programme over a five-year period. This round of funding is the highest ever awarded through the programme and will make a real difference to communities across the capital.

Catherine Anderson, Executive Director of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, said: “Our mission is to Inspire Activity, and we know that providing more opportunities for walking and cycling can help many more people build activity into their daily routines. We can’t wait to see the impact these new projects will have within their communities – supporting people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds across the capital to lead active and healthy lives.”