Essex Pedal Power Basildon

Essex Pedal Power is a community-based cycling project which allows residents in Basildon to apply for a free new bike. Essex Pedal Power is one of the flagship programmes of the Active Essex Local Delivery Pilot, providing free bikes to significantly increase cycling, active travel, and physical activity levels in low-income communities. The scheme is being rolled out across Essex after a successful pilot programme in Clacton and Jaywick. It will be launching in Basildon in May 2023, with plans to distribute 600 free bikes throughout 2023 and 2024.

Initial funding has been secured from the London Marathon Foundation, the Active Essex Local Delivery Pilot and the Basildon and Brentwood Health Alliance Tackling Inequalities fund.

Essex Pedal Power Basildon is a partnership of the Active Essex Local Delivery Pilot, Essex County Council, The Active Wellbeing Society, Basildon Borough Council, Sport England, London Marathon Foundation and Basildon University Hospital.

Click the “Apply Now” link above to be directed to the online application form. Please contact us via BasildonEPP@theaws.org if you require additional support with the electronic application process.

Data Protection Act 2018

The information you provide is confidential and subject to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018. This personal data will be held and processed by Active Essex (Sport and Physical Activity Partnership) and The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) (Reg. number 7595) for the purpose(s) of providing and monitoring the effectiveness of Essex Pedal Power (EPP) and comply with any statutory duty in relation with public health placed on the local authorities, including service communication purposes. The data will also be shared with Essex Highways for transport monitoring. The personal details you provide may also be shared with Basildon Council and other third parties for the purposes of undertaking research, for the provision of appropriate services, as part of any statutory duties requiring such disclosure and to protect the public funds the Council collects and administers on the basis that they treat the information as confidential. Any data may be used to prevent fraud or the misuse of resources. For further information of our privacy notice, please visit: https://www.essex.gov.uk/privacy-community. You can also contact us if you have additional questions.

To read the full terms and conditions, click here.

A portion of the bikes in Basildon will be fitted with a GPS tracking system. This will enable the Essex Pedal Power team to monitor how the bike is being used, for data collection and evaluation purposes. Recipients will be selected at random to receive a GPS-tracked bike.

In phase 1 of the project, residents living in Felmores and Fryerns will be eligible for a bike. You must be an adult (aged 16 and above) and not currently own a working bike. There will be a maximum of 2 bikes per household. We hope to expand into other regions across Basildon as additional funding becomes available.

We have a number of bikes allocated to NHS staff working at the Basildon University Hospital (pay bands 2 – 4). The Essex Pedal Power team will also be distributing bikes via local organisations, who are at the forefront of community engagement work in the borough.

To read full eligibility criteria click here link to the attachment EPP Basildon Eligibility Criteria.

Absolutely! We hope many Basildon residents will be involved in the Essex Pedal Power community – whether through joining a group bike ride, attending a cycle training session or volunteering with us. You can stay up to date with news and community events by joining our EPP Basildon Community Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/223266483544322/

If you are not eligible for a bike but want to learn more about how to be involved with Essex Pedal Power Basildon, email us at BasildonEPP@theaws.org.

We are looking for volunteers to help with the local delivery of the project, which includes building and maintaining bikes, helping at bike giveaway events and supporting cycling groups. Please email us at BasildonEPP@theaws.org if you are interested in volunteering.

Yes, you do not need to know how to ride a bike to be involved in Essex Pedal Power. We are working with the Essex County Council Cycle Training team to provide free training to those who do not know how to ride a bike or would like to build their confidence. You can sign up for learn to ride or cycle confidence training when you apply for an Essex Pedal Power bike.

We recognise that there are a range of barriers to cycling that go beyond simply having access to a bike. The Essex Pedal Power team will support you to maintain your bike and teach basic bike maintenance skills.

The Essex Pedal Power bikes are high-quality, lightweight hybrid bikes supplied by Raleigh. They come in our signature orange colour. These bikes are suitable for roads and cycle paths. We have a range of sizes and styles to suit different needs. We are working to explore e-bikes, cargo bikes and adapted cycles as future elements of the programme.

People who receive a bike will also receive a helmet, a gold standard D-lock and a hand pump. Each bike will come with reflectors, bike lights and mud guards.

The bike is initially loaned to participants for six months. Providing you use the bike regularly (roughly once per week), you will be able to keep the bike and equipment free of charge.

In this phase of the project, we will be giving away 600 adult bikes to Basildon residents aged 16 and over. We do have a very limited number of childrens bikes available, that would be distributed when considerable need is identified by a local partner. As with adult bikes, the decision to allocate a children’s bike is at the discretion of the EPP team.

To read full terms and conditions click here.