British Cycling has recently welcomed six new names to its network of trained Mountain Bike Leaders, working alongside the Colour Collective in an effort to strengthen representation of people from diverse ethnic communities in leadership roles.
The Colour Collective group was founded during 2020 and aims to increase participation of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds within mountain biking.
In November 2022, five of its aspiring leaders completed the Fundamentals of Mountain Bike Leadership Award , which equips them to lead their own rides. The course was led by Aneela McKenna, Co-chair of British Cycling’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, who is also an experienced mountain bike guide and coach. Aneela was instrumental in setting up the leadership course working alongside Phil Young, Jo Shwe, Dan Cook and Christine Fox to strengthen mountain bike leadership across the UK.
A key aim of British Cycling’s first long-term diversity and inclusion strategy – Our Ride – is to develop a diverse and inclusive workforce, with a focus on recruitment, providing accessible opportunities and support through education and training. Prior to the course, Aneela was one of only two people of colour to be trained as a Mountain Bike Leader in the UK.
Following the course, she said:
“I’ve always wanted to see more people of colour out leading on the trails. If we want to widen participation, we need role models to inspire others to participate and cycle. The Colour Collective has some great riders with good skills and experience of the outdoors. I would like […]
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