Move for Change

In 2026 Brighton & Hove City Council was awarded nearly £288,200 in government funding. 

This money was awarded so we could continue our work to: 

• encourage active travel 
• provide better walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure for people in Brighton & Hove 

This will help people: 

• save money on transport 
• improve their health 
• reduce their carbon footprint 

The money will be used to support various active travel projects throughout the city. 

View the Capability & Ambition Fund 2025 map to see the current project area we are working on.

Find out more about Cycle to Work Day 2026, what’s happening across Brighton & Hove, and how you can get involved. 

This summer, join people across Brighton & Hove in celebrating Cycle to Work Day on Thursday 6 August 2026. 

Whether you're a regular rider, an occasional cyclist, or thinking about cycling to work for the first time, Cycle to Work Day is a great opportunity to get on your bike. Enjoy the fresh air, and discover the many benefits of travelling on two wheels. 

Every journey by bike helps create a healthier, happier, and more sustainable city. 

Reasons to cycle to work

Cycling to work isn't just a great way to get from A to B, it can also improve your health, save you money, and help protect the environment. 

Cycling is good for your health and wellbeing:

• improves cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength 
• helps reduce stress and boost mental wellbeing 
• increases daily physical activity 
• supports healthy weight management and energy levels 
• provides an enjoyable way to start and finish the working day 

Cycling is good for the environment:

• produces zero emissions while riding 
• helps improve local air quality 
• reduces traffic congestion 
• supports Brighton & Hove's sustainability ambitions 
• creates quieter, more pleasant streets 

Cycling helps you save money:

• reduce spending on fuel, parking, and public transport 
• lower maintenance costs compared with car ownership 
• access potential savings through your employer's Cycle to Work scheme 
• enjoy a low-cost and reliable way to travel 

Cycling is convenient and gives you freedom:

• avoid traffic delays during peak travel times 
• travel door-to-door on many journeys 
• explore new cycle routes and green spaces 
• enjoy greater flexibility in your daily commute 

How to get involved in Cycle to Work Day

Make a pledge 

Commit to cycling to work on Thursday 6 August 2026 and encourage a colleague, friend, or family member to join you. 

Ride with colleagues 

Invite your team to take part and turn your commute into a shared experience. 

Share your journey 

Post photos of your ride on social media and help inspire others to choose active travel. 

Prepare your bike 

Before setting off: 

• check your tyres are inflated correctly 
• test your brakes 
• ensure your lights and bell are working 
• lubricate your chain if needed 

Plan your route 

Use quieter streets, dedicated cycle lanes, and traffic-free paths where possible. 

You could try Brighton & Hove's online cycle map to help plan your journey, the map includes: 

• city cycle routes 
• Beryl Bike hubs 
• local amenities 
• attractions and places of interest 

What's happening on Cycle to Work Day

Win a cycle repair stand for your workplace 

If you want to help more colleagues cycle to work, take a photo of yourself and at least two colleagues cycling to work on Cycle to Work Day and email it to the Transport Team. You will then have a chance to win one of two cycle repair stands for your workplace. 

Bike Breakfasts 

We're working with local businesses to reward people who cycle to work. 

Thursday 6 August 2026,  8am to 10:30am: 

• Carat’s Café is offering free coffee and pastries to people cycling into work - Bike Boom will also be attending to help with minor bike repairs or maintenance 
• Fika at The Sea Lanes on Madeira Drive is offering a free drink and pastry - Brighton Bike Hub will be supporting with minor bike repairs along with Sussex Police with bike security marking
• Mileo.coffee at Hove Town Hall is also offering a free drink and pastry to people cycling to work

To claim your free drink and snack, please mention Cycle to Work Day 2026. 

Beryl BTN Cycle to Work Day offer 

If you don’t have a bicycle but want to try one, download the Beryl app, register your details and try an ebike or regular bike from one of the hubs around Brighton & Hove. There are over 100 hubs across the city, 275 ebikes and 120 regular Beryl bikes to try.    

Find out more about the Beryl BTN Bike scheme.   

Last year Beryl encouraged people to take the scenic route riding to work. This year, Beryl are encouraging riders to “Take the Side Quest” on Thursday 6 August. 

Inspired by a retro video game and gamification, this Cycle to Work Day campaign encourages riders to break away from the usual commute and have an adventure on the way to work. 

For those who take a ride on Cycle to Work Day on a Beryl BTN bike, they will receive up to 10 minutes free within 7 days by email. 

To qualify for this promotion, you’ll need to subscribe to Beryl’s marketing emails. Riders can update their preferences in the Beryl app under Settings – Notifications & Comms. 

Ride to Work Day: How to add a Side Quest to your Commute.

OurBike and Cycle to Work Day offer 

Try an OurBike electric cargo bike.

OurBike is the UK’s largest community electric cargo bike share, now available in Brighton & Hove. Book through the OurBike app and use the electric assist to carry children, shopping, tools or deliveries - a practical alternative to the car for work and everyday journeys. 

Five OurBikes are available across 3 local hubs: 

• Rotunda Cafe, Preston Park 
• PLATF9RM, Hove 
• Detroit Club, Kemptown 

Hire is £5 per hour (or £1.25/15 minutes), and our B2B bikes can be booked up to 6 months in advance!  

Cycle to Work Day offer 

To celebrate Cycle to Work Day, use code BH25 in the OurBike app for 25% off your next booking. 

Go to the OurBike website for more information or download the OurBike app and register to get ready for the day. 

Support with cycling to work 

Many employers offer a Cycle to Work scheme, allowing you to purchase a bike and accessories through salary sacrifice arrangements. 

Benefits can include: 

• savings on bikes and cycling equipment 
• access to e-bikes and specialist cycles 
• affordable monthly payments 
• support for active and sustainable commuting 

Check with your HR department or transport team to find out which scheme your organisation offers. 

Maybe 2026 is the year you finally get that e-bike you've been thinking about. 

Cycling in Brighton & Hove 

If you're looking to cycle more often, visit our Cycling Organisations webpage to find information on: 

• cycling clubs 
• cycle training providers 
• bike repair services 
• cycle hire and shared bikes 
• cycling charities 
• campaign groups 
• bike and frame builders 
• cycle shops 
• guided cycle tours 
• local cycling facilities 

Join the celebration 

Let's make Thursday 6 August 2026 another fantastic Cycle to Work Day in Brighton & Hove. 

Whether it's your first commute by bike or one of many, every cycle journey helps create a healthier, cleaner, and more connected city. 

Get involved, enjoy the ride, and help make every pedal count. 

This initiative is grant funded by the Department for Transport.

Funding for eCargo bikes and the subsidy are no longer available however we can:

• offer impartial, expert advice and guidance on choosing the right eCargo bikes for your business needs
• advise on sustainable deliveries for local businesses

Find more information on our eCargo bike accelerator webpage.

Find out more about our subsidised cycle training to empower people to travel more actively, be safer cyclists and make better travel choices. 

Sign up for a cycle training course

Book a course

Find out how we're keeping children safe on their journeys to and from school.

Find out why we encourage children to walk to school and information on Walk to School Week.

We’re aware of the impact travel and transport has on our city. For this reason, we need workplaces and organisations to play their part in reducing carbon emissions specifically from the daily commute and business travel.

Find out how to make a Travel Plan.

Find out about Dr Bike, our council-funded bicycle servicing initiative.

Brighton & Hove City Council and Beryl BTN Bikes

As part of Beryl BTN Bikes social value offer to Brighton & Hove City Council, the council was gifted 150 x one hundred free minute bundles. These free minute bundles are on offer to people living in East Brighton and Whitehawk who are jobseekers, on universal credit, student-hardship funds and social prescribing. 

The promotion of the Beryl BTN Bikes scheme is part of a programme of projects funded by Department of Transport’s Capability & Ambition Fund. This case study demonstrates how working with people who are marginalised or have complex needs can benefit from active travel both physically and mentally. 

Transport Planner and cycle instructor, Daniel Bianco, has been engaging with charities, NHS Trusts and Primary Care Networks since December 2024 to promote this fantastic offer to people who’d benefit from it. 

Recently, the charity Together Co, which works with individuals who are lonely or socially isolated referred Jonathan, via social prescribing, to Daniel to try cycling. Jonathan hadn’t cycled since he was in his teens so some cycle training really benefited him. 

 Image: Jonathan at Varley Park after his cycle ride.

Jonathan met Daniel at the Level and tried one of the Beryl electric bicycles. He was shown how to use the Beryl App and access the free 100 minute bundle. This offer enables free unlocking and the minute bundle, once activated is valid for 12 months. 

Together, Jonathan and Daniel cycled from The Level to Varley Park in Colden. 

This is what Jonathan said after Daniel checked in with him the day after cycling:

“Thanks so much for checking in – and yes, I’m still standing… though I must admit, I felt like John Wayne on my way home yesterday! My legs are absolutely knackered today, but in a good way – I’m definitely feeling the years without proper workouts or routine catching up with me. That said, yesterday’s ride left a lasting impression on me. It was more than just exercise – it was the first time in a long while I’ve truly felt free, like a bird coasting through the cycle lanes of Brighton and Hove.

It genuinely helped shift something in me mentally – to feel the wind on my face, out in the world again, rather than being trapped indoors battling anxiety, depression, and the mental fog of a stressful few years. It’s hard to express how significant that short session was. You gave me more than a cycling lesson – it was a moment of clarity, a reminder of what living can feel like.

I also want to thank you again, and give due credit to Together Co, who got me linked into this through my GP. Honestly, it’s these small-but-powerful interventions that can shift the tide for people like me. I believe initiatives like this should be championed more widely across council services – they’re proactive, empowering, and help people reclaim confidence, health and dignity – especially for those coming from marginalised or complex backgrounds.

Looking forward to the next ride – and thanks again for being part of a much-needed turning point in my life.”

It is hoped that this Beryl BTN Bikes offer will help people in similar circumstances to Jonathan, who live in fringe areas of Brighton & Hove to access affordable and sustainable transportation.  

Project Summary 

Cycling for Social Prescribing is a partnership project between Brighton & Hove City Council, Brighton Bike Hub, GP practices, and community support organisations. The project uses cycling as a preventative health intervention, providing free cycle training, guided rides and confidence-building. The sessions are for adults referred through social prescribing pathways. 

The initiative aims to improve physical and mental wellbeing, reduce social isolation and increase confidence in active travel. It will also enable more residents to choose cycling for everyday journeys. The project supports residents who are new to cycling, returning after a break, or lacking confidence to cycle independently. 

Objectives 

The objectives of this project are to: 

• encourage active travel and increased cycling participation
• improve physical and mental health outcomes
• support behaviour change towards sustainable transport 
• reduce transport inequalities by providing free access to bikes, helmets and training
• build confidence to use existing cycling infrastructure 
• support carbon reduction through modal shift from car journeys to cycling

Target Audience 

The primary audiences are:

• adults referred through GP surgeries
• social prescribing charities and link workers
• individuals experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges 
• residents experiencing loneliness or social isolation
• people managing long-term health conditions
• inactive adults looking to improve health and wellbeing 
• residents lacking confidence to cycle independently 

The secondary audiences are: 

• community support organisations
• NHS and Public Health partners
• local employers and workplace wellbeing programmes

Project Activities 

1. Social prescribing referral pathway: 

• develop referral process with GP practices and social prescribing teams 
• promote cycling as a recognised wellbeing intervention 
• create simple referral and feedback systems 

2. Confidence building cycle sessions 

• one-to-one and small group cycle training
• learn-to-ride and return-to-cycling sessions
• on-road confidence development 

3. Guided wellbeing rides:

• regular led rides on safe and accessible routes
• peer-support and social interaction opportunities
• focus on enjoyment rather than performance

4. Access to equipment:

• free bike and helmet provision during sessions 
• advice on affordable cycle ownership and maintenance 
• signposting to local cycling support schemes

5. Progression into everyday cycling:

• support participants to cycle for local journeys
• connections to workplace cycling initiatives
• links into existing community cycling groups and events

Outcomes 

The health outcomes are:

• improved physical activity levels
• improved mental wellbeing
• increased confidence and self-esteem
• reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation

The transport outcomes are:

• increased cycling participation
• greater confidence using local cycling routes
• more cycling trips for everyday journeys
• reduced reliance on private car travel

The environmental outcomes are:

• lower transport-related carbon emissions
• increased awareness of sustainable travel options

Delivery Partners 

The delivery partners are:

• Brighton & Hove City Council 
• Brighton Bike Hub 
• NHS Primary Care Networks 
• Social Prescribing Charities and Link Workers 
• Public Health teams 
• Community and voluntary sector organisations

Assets

View and download a digital image, poster and leaflet for the Cycling for Social Prescribing project.