An independent evaluation of Free Bikes schemes was launched at the UK House of Lords yesterday, at a reception hosted by Free Bikes Lead Ambassador and former Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Watson of Wyre Forest.

The report, authored by economic consultant, Volterra, assessed the impact of three pilot schemes in Birmingham, Essex and Southall, and the distribution of 12,000 bikes. A leading edge Health Impact Assessment estimated that over 12,000 bikes, the schemes could prevent 58 new cases of diseases each year, translating to £1m of annual savings to the NHS.

Free Bikes schemes focus on removing the cost barrier to cycling for people from the most deprived areas by providing a free bike and wraparound support, such as cycle training and community rides.

National Free Bikes Lead Ambassador and Former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Lord Tom Watson, said: “This independent evaluation from Volterra shows what we have long believed: give people a bike and they ride. They move from inactive to active, they reduce their risk of poor health, and they access new employment opportunities.

“This is not just transport policy; it is opportunity policy, and I’m incredibly excited to see what the next chapter of Free Bikes will look like.”

At The Active Wellbeing Society, we have already facilitated the giveaways of thousands of bikes across the three pilot schemes, along with training, confidence building and community support. The schemes have extended to Basildon University Hospital, providing the Free Bikes on prescription for those with preventable diseases and to support hospital workers access their jobs with more ease.

Karen Creavin, CEO of The Active Wellbeing Society, said: “When you remove the barrier of cost by giving someone a bike, you enable a change in their behaviour, build community resilience, and shift systems.

“Our work across Birmingham, Essex and Southall provides the blueprint for how other regions can benefit from the incredible benefits of Free Bikes.”

Alongside the NHS savings, the evaluation of the Free Bikes schemes show that they can contribute to improving people’s access to work and opportunities, increase recipients’ physical activity, be part of the move towards Net Zero, and contribute towards community cohesion.

For every £1 spent, the schemes generate an estimated Social Return on Investment of £12, increasing to £16 over the full lifecycle of each bike (around 5 years). This is much higher than Active Travel England’s expectation for active travel schemes (£1.5 to £2) and represent ‘Very High’ Value for Money (VfM) according to the framework set out by the Department for Transport.

The full technical report, along with a Summary Report, is available to download here.