People-powered movement
We’re the charity making it possible for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle.
Since 1977, we’ve believed in a simple but transformative idea: If we change how we travel, we change everything.
Imagine streets where everyone feels safe. Air that’s cleaner. Journeys that bring joy rather than stress. Neighbourhoods where people of all ages and abilities can connect with the places and people they love, freely and confidently. Making it possible for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle does all that and more.
Walking, wheeling and cycling may seem like small actions. But together, they add up to something much, much bigger. They ripple out, improving wellbeing, strengthening communities, reducing inequality and tackling climate change.
Yet for too many people, these everyday freedoms aren’t possible. Travel isn’t safe, accessible or affordable, especially for people living in deprived areas, disabled people, older people, younger people and women. These are the voices most often excluded from walking, wheeling or cycling.
We exist to remove these barriers so that everyone, in every community, can experience the life-changing benefits of people-powered movement.
We’re taking action to deliver more joy per journey, more peace per pedal, more smiles per mile and to drive people-powered movement further than ever before.
This is grassroots action with added oomph. Working with communities to create change on the ground, and evidencing impact to influence the policies and investments that push that change further.
Because when people can safely and easily walk, wheel and cycle, everything changes.
Our vision for the future
A national walking, wheeling and cycling network that brings everyone closer to the places and people they love.
Based on our strong heritage of creating over 12,000 miles of National Cycle Network, we are building and strengthening this to be a seamless, safe and stunning Network designed for everyone. In doing so, we will:
- Fix it – A high-quality, accessible Network that everyone can use and trust.
- Love it – Routes and places that are locally loved and embraced by communities.
- Green it – A Network that restores nature and connects people to it.
- Connect it – A Network that links transport options, communities and destinations.
Connected, thriving neighbourhoods where people can live and move easily
From rural paths to city streets, we work with communities and partners to design places where active travel is the natural choice.
- Schools and children – Making it possible for every child to walk, wheel or cycle to school, building healthy, joyful habits for life.
- New homes – Ensuring walking, wheeling and cycling are at the heart of every new development.
- Buses and trains – Enabling longer journeys by making it easy to walk, wheel or cycle to and from public transport.
Empowering millions to walk, wheel and cycle for their health, their wellbeing and their world
We are committed to ensuring active travel is:
- Inclusive – Safe, accessible and affordable for everyone.
- Influential – Supported by unstoppable political will, making people-powered movement a personal and public priority for decision makers.
- A movement of people – A cause backed by millions who walk, wheel and cycle, volunteer, donate and champion change in their communities.
Organisational ambition
We are proud of our talented 500 employees and 2,000 volunteers across the UK and the roles they play in making change happen. Our charity is evolving, building a culture where colleagues feel connected to our purpose, encouraged to experiment, supported to succeed and proud of the difference they make. A place where collaboration thrives, and where joy, the beating heart of our brand, shapes how we work as well as what we deliver. And we are not complacent; there remains much to do. Following a major restructuring of the charity in 2025, we want to ensure that changes in who we are and how we work will act as the foundations of a high performing, financially strong and healthy organisation. Our new Chief Executive will play a pivotal role in shaping and accelerating the organisational, performance and cultural shifts already underway in order to deliver the impact we want to see.
We want to become a charity that moves hearts as well as minds, one that tells powerful, human stories of impact, listens deeply to communities, and inspires people to act. Our brand is grounded in optimism, joy and possibility; our culture must live those qualities in every conversation.
To grow our impact, we must become a more confident, visible and emotionally compelling fundraising charity. One that mobilises public support, secures major donors, wins strategic partners and builds long-term financial resilience. We want to give supporters something to believe in, and a clear invitation to be part of changing the world through people-powered movement.
We aim to build on our strengths — technical expertise, deep community knowledge, evidence-led influencing — and turn them into a commercially agile, opportunity-driven organisation. One that partners confidently with government, local authorities and business and measures its impact clearly. We aspire to grow our forecasted income of £58 million in 2025/26 so that we can reinvest value back into our purpose.
Our culture and values:
Always learning: being curious, challenging assumptions, reflecting openly and embracing innovation so we’re constantly improving together.
Championing equity: embedding fairness from the start, valuing diverse perspectives, and creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels respected, heard and able to do their best.
Taking ownership: being clear on our roles, acting with courage and care, tackling barriers and creating a healthy environment where initiative and accountability are celebrated.
And it’s powered by delivering together: communicating openly, building trust, sharing what works and celebrating collective success as one connected team.
This is the culture that will enable us to unlock our full potential as an engaging, storytelling organisation, a confident fundraising charity and a commercially sharp, purpose‑driven movement that delivers more joy per journey.
Walk Wheel Cycle Trust is a registered charity in Scotland (SC039263), in England and Cymru (326550) and Republic of Ireland (20206824).
For more information, visit www.walkwheelcycletrust.org.uk.