British Cycling partners with Shell

[simonhill]

I believe the (current) term is optics.

It looks bad, full stop.

For me it was a very naïve thing to do. From what is written above it doesn't seem like there was a whole load of dosh, so why.

Do they have any PR people.

[TrevA]

If you look at the BC accounts from 2021:

https://find-and-update.company-informa ... ng-history

They get about 1/4 of their funding from Sponsorship. 1/2 their funding comes from UK Sport and Sport England and most of the rest comes from members.

Teaming up with Shell is not the best fit iwith their aims and objectives, but I think in the current financial climate that there aren’t many companies who will to pump £5m per year into a a sports organisation. So it may be that beggars can’t be choosers in this situation.

If BC didn’t have sponsorship, they would lose a quarter of their funding. For all their faults, BC do a lot to get more people riding bikes, particularly newbies, women and children, through their Let’s Ride, Breeze and Go Ride programmes. And I think, without the sponsorship it would be these initiatives that would be cut back or got rid of altogether.

I have no skin in the fight here. I’m not a member of BC and haven’t been for 10 years. Throughout my cycling life I’ve flip-flopped between BC and CTC, but since I’ve not done any bunch racing since 2012, there’s no reason for me to belong to BC, so I’ve rejoined and remained with Cycling UK.

[hemo]

Various bodies one expects have strange bed fellow arrangements with big commerce.
The British Bee Keeping Associtiation for donkeys years was sponsored by Bayer or the like, another example of a toatally inapproriate sponsor ship. Yet it is these terrible chems that are causing severe issues with the insect wildlife, one reason why I don't hold sway with them.

[slowster]

If BC didn’t have sponsorship, they would lose a quarter of their funding. For all their faults, BC do a lot to get more people riding bikes, particularly newbies, women and children, through their Let’s Ride, Breeze and Go Ride programmes. And I think, without the sponsorship it would be these initiatives that would be cut back or got rid of altogether.

£5.2M (20%) of their expenditure was on 'Cycling Delivery', described as activities to 'grow participation, serve the sport and lead cycling'. Of that £5.2M, £1.74M was spent on national and regional competitions.

Although encouraging cycling as a 'pastime' is included in BC's articles of association, it looks like the work it does to encourage and support non-competitive cycling accounts for only a very tiny part of its expenditure.

[Zulu Eleven]

Great article from Guy K:

https://www.bikeperfect.com/features/be ... -of-biking

[Bmblbzzz]

Various bodies one expects have strange bed fellow arrangements with big commerce.
The British Bee Keeping Associtiation for donkeys years was sponsored by Bayer or the like, another example of a toatally inapproriate sponsor ship. Yet it is these terrible chems that are causing severe issues with the insect wildlife, one reason why I don't hold sway with them.

Bayer sold their animal health division two years ago but still publish articles such as: https://www.bayer.com/en/agriculture/bee-health

[Slowroad]

Unfortunately there are plenty of people on Faceache who confuse British Cycling with Cycling UK, and are posting snarky comments on CUK posts about links with Shell. I suppose at least there are opportunities to set them right!

[Bmblbzzz]

The names aren't exactly distinct...

[awavey]

it probably didnt help that Friends of the Earth press release on the Shell deal called them "UK Cycling"

[Philip Benstead]

Unfortunately there are plenty of people on Faceache who confuse British Cycling with Cycling UK, and are posting snarky comments on CUK posts about links with Shell. I suppose at least there are opportunities to set them right!

Please can you give a link to these conflused comments

[Jdsk]

it probably didnt help that Friends of the Earth press release on the Shell deal called them "UK Cycling"

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/br ... ners-shell

I've written to them.

Jonathan

[Sweep]

I believe the (current) term is optics.

It looks bad, full stop.

For me it was a very naïve thing to do. From what is written above it doesn't seem like there was a whole load of dosh, so why.

Do they have any PR people.

Does anyone know what the amount of cash is?

[mattheus]

Great article from Guy K:

https://www.bikeperfect.com/features/be ... -of-biking

<alternate view:>
A bunch of fence-sitting waffle, typical of current cycling "journalism". The fence-sitting allows him to keep all his customers on-side, whilst still sounding wise. Very smart!

[Paulatic]

]

Does anyone know what the amount of cash is?

Supposedly

The eight-year sponsorship deal, believed to be worth between £1 million and £1.5 million annually, included “specific investment from Shell UK to support a new programme which aims to break down the barriers disabled people face when accessing cycling

[Bmblbzzz]

The last part is very interesting (potentially)