Four grassroots cycling organizations in the UK and Europe including the historic Herne Hill Velodrome are set to benefit from funding from the Rapha Foundation. In the Foundation’s second year, it will disburse a total of $750,000 in support to these four organizations.
The Rayner Foundation (formerly the Dave Rayner Fund), Herne Hill Velodrome Trust (HHVT), Helen100, and the Cyclists’ Alliance are each taking a share of the latest round of grants, which are awarded to support local cycling initiatives. The four newest grantees received their funding this winter, joining five inaugural US-based beneficiaries which received the first round of funding in the spring of 2019.
Simon Mottram Rapha’s founder and CEO, said: “I am extremely proud to announce the next group of organizations who will get funding from the Rapha Foundation, this time close to home. When we first discussed the Rapha Foundation helping young and disadvantaged riders getting into racing, it was organizations like The Rayner Foundation and the amazing work of Helen Wyman that we had in mind. Herne Hill is an iconic facility for those of us who live in London and we are excited to help them reach more of their local community.”
The mission of the Rapha Foundation is to build a better future for the sport of cycling by inspiring, empowering and supporting the next generation of racers. It provides direct funding to not-for-profit organizations of all sizes that introduce underserved audiences to cycling. The Foundation will champion these organizations and take aspiring racers on a journey from their local park to podiums at the top of the sport.
Organizations in the EU, US, UK, and Asia-Pacific are all eligible for grants. Potential grantees are invited to apply for funding on a biannual basis in the spring and autumn. Applicants must be registered charities, including 501c3 organizations for US-based institutions, and equivalent institutions outside the US. Members of the public may nominate a grantee through the following link, noting that Round 3 applications will focus on US-based organizations.
The Rapha Foundation was created from the Rapha Roadmap, an extensive report into the state of professional cycling. This followed a two-year research project that investigated how the most visible aspect of of cycling – professional racing – could be made more exciting and more valuable. The recommendations in the Roadmap now guide much of Rapha's work, starting with a new approach to team sponsorship and the launch of the Rapha Foundation, a charitable initiative focused on the grassroots of the sport.
The Rapha Foundation has been made possible by Steuart and Tom Walton, Rapha shareholders, along with Simon Mottram, the founder and CEO of Rapha. Steuart and Tom provided seed funding for the Rapha Foundation, donating more than $1.5m in 2019.
