Enjoy Waltham Forest celebrates 10 years!
2024 marks the 10 year anniversary of Enjoy Waltham Forest, our pioneering programme to make it safer and easier to walk and cycle in our borough.
Over the last decade, Waltham Forest has:
- Created 55km of dedicated cycle lanes
- Trained over 29,000 residents in cycle skills
- Installed 11 station Cycle Hubs and 760 Bikehangars for people to store their cycles
- Established 22 School Streets
- Given free cycle loans to over 1,300 residents
- Created 180 new or improved road crossings
To mark the occasion, there will be even more events and offers taking place across the borough this year for everyday walking and cycling.
Getting 2024 off to a strong start, we have lots of free schemes for anyone who is looking to start cycling for the first time, or who wants to gain confidence on their cycle. Anyone who lives, works or studies in Waltham Forest can:
- Loan a standard or cargo bike for free via our Community Bike Loan scheme
- Bring their bike along to a Dr Bike session for a free check-up by an expert mechanic
- Book free cycling lessons and bike maintenance courses
- Join up to one of our local community groups, like Cycle Sisters or JoyRiders, to help gain confidence and meet new people
- Make use of our cycle storage, including Cycle Hangars and Cycle Hubs
We want everyone to have the opportunity to walk or cycle in our borough. All Ability Cycling Clubs are held every Saturday morning, and we’ll have a week of All Ability clubs taking place in February half term. At these sessions, the friendly team at Bikeworks UK have a huge range of adapted cycles so anyone can come along and try cycling on a cycle that works for them – especially anyone with a physical, learning or sensory disability. These cycles include relaxed tricycles, recumbents, wheelchair bikes, hand cycles, side-by-side bikes, and many more.
We’re also pleased to announce that our Community Walking and Cycling fund will be re-opening in February for community groups to apply. This funding supports community organisations to enable even more residents to enjoy walking and cycling in their local neighbourhoods.
Cllr Clyde Loakes, Cabinet Member for Climate and Air Quality: “This year, we’re making Enjoy Waltham Forest bigger and better than ever with new free activities and schemes each month.
Tour De Waltham Forest will be returning and this one will be our best yet. We also need your help! We want to hear from you about your favourite cycling routes across Waltham Forest, which will feed into the event routes. We’ll also be asking for residents’ tips for walking in the borough for our popular Waltham Forest Wanders series. Whether you already love walking and cycling, or you want to step out of your comfort zone this year and give it a go – you couldn’t be in a better place than Waltham Forest.”
We’ll have lots more happening across the year – if you want to have the latest information delivered to your inbox, sign up to our Enjoy newsletter.