Over the last 4 years Nes Brierley, Ed Watson and Olivia Graham have organised rides, classes and activities for over 26,450 beneficiaries as part of I Bike MCR, Yet as the group encourage more people to cycle, the demand for more maintenance workshops, cycle confidence classes and social events have also dramatically increased. Working in our spare time, voluntarily, we were unable to meet this demand. So we have decided to leave our regular jobs and commit to empowering Manchester cyclists on a full time basis through a new project, Pedal MCR.

In the past, activities have taken place in a variety of locations from the roads to church halls to warehouses to people’s back yards. Yet through research and practicalities we recognise a need for a physical space for the cycling community that we have helped to build.

The Pedal MCR Community Cycling Centre shall help broaden access to bicycling and its benefits through hands-on programs, volunteer projects, and a neighbourhood bike shop. Programmes written to target and support people from low economic or hard to reach groups, including asylum seekers, young offenders, homeless people and women, shall also be a priority.