Borough Partnership Initiative: creating bespoke versions of Cycle Lifestyle for local authorities.
We can provide you with at least 2000 copies of a special local version of the magazine, with an amended front cover, and as many pages as you like detailing local news and events!
Just send us the info you would like us to feature, and we'll take care of everything else. We can even write your pages for you: our Editor, Ben Irvine, is a published writer.
Get in touch to find out more on 07545 471 633, or info@cyclelifestyle.co.uk.
“Cycle Lifestyle provides an excellent opportunity to promote local cycling initiatives, alongside useful information and cycling advice. The style, layout and content appeals to a wide audience, enthralling our school cycle club members, engaging and inspiring our residents, and assisting our commuters. A great asset in our pro-cycling campaigns.” Nick Davies, Principal Transport Officer, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
"Cycle Lifestyle is an excellent, comparatively inexpensive way for boroughs to promote what they are doing locally, to schools, residents and businesses. Promoting your own cycle initiatives through a magazine which is customised for your borough – and contains other interesting and down to earth articles – supports and complements the work that you are already doing. Tower Hamlets distributes 2,000 copies of Cycle Lifestyle to all of its schools, where the magazine is placed in staff rooms and receptions, addressing the adult audience to keep the profile of cycling high. Although the cyclelifestyle.co.uk website is attractive and easy to use, and the magazine and back numbers can be easily accessed on it, there is no replacement for a pick-up-and-read alternative that can be shared by many people without having to use a suitable computer or smart phone. Cycle Lifestyle’s grass-roots, friendly approach, and the ease of communication with Ben, the editor (who also will advise and help you write and fill your column inches effectively) can make it an easy and cheaper option compared to organising your own leafleting at this level of marketing." John Rymell, School Travel Adviser, Transportation, Public Realm, London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The magazine
Cycle Lifestyle is a free magazine that promotes cycling as a healthy, environmentally-friendly and fun way of travelling. It contains articles on topics like getting started, buying a bike, planning a route, cycling safely, cycle fashion and romantic cycling, as well regular features like ‘Give it a Go’ (in which newcomers try out cycling) ‘Case Studies’ (in which regular cyclists describe their experiences) and ‘The Peddler’ (a light-hearted column about a day in the life of a cyclist).
Cycle Lifestyle has received universally positive feedback from its readers, including customers, planners, businesses and local authorities. It is one of the only magazines in the UK that is designed to appeal to both potential and regular cyclists, and thus it fulfils a valuable role in promoting the benefits of cycling and encouraging more people to try it.
The local authorities
Most local authorities are seeking to promote the use of sustainable transport. There is enormous scope, in particular, for increasing the numbers of cyclists on the roads. One important policy measure for achieving this is to increase cyclists’ confidence and safety through providing comprehensive and integrated cycle facilities, including well-maintained, signed and unbroken routes, secure cycle parking and cycle training for people of all ages.
An equally important policy measure is increasing accessibility through promotional and informational activities. Many people are unaware of the lifestyle, community and economic benefits of cycling, so there is great scope for increasing cycle usage through well-targeted marketing. Useful resources include the internet, events, workplace campaigns and promotional literature.
The Borough Partnership Initiative
Producing quality informational and promotional literature relating to cycling is an expensive and time-consuming process when conducted in-house by local authorities. Despite the fact that well-written, clear and attractively presented material can be crucial in persuading local people to cycle, costs in terms of production and resources can be prohibitive.
Cycle Lifestyle is offering to help boroughs fulfil their marketing aims through partnership working. We are giving boroughs the opportunity to acquire bespoke local copies of the magazine, with a specially amended front cover and pages of local news and events.
We will offer local authorities the following services:
(i) magazine production free of charge, including:
- research
- journalism
- design
- images
- editing
- publishing
- administration
- an amended front cover slogan saying 'Love [Your Borough], Love Cycling'
and
(ii) a page or more of local news costing £950 per page.
We'll also deliver your copies to you for free! Or we can post copies directly on your behalf to local outlets, such as schools, doctors surgeres, business, and so on.
The common aims
Cycle Lifestyle will retain full editorial control of the magazine’s content, but we will liaise frequently with borough officers in order to receive feedback. We share local authorities’ strict objective of supplying fully inclusive, representative, accurate and responsible information to our readers, while conveying a positive message about cycling.
We have worked with the London Cycle Network, Sustrans and Cycle Training UK, as well as Birmingham City Council and the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Redbridge, Kensington and Chelsea, Tower Hamlets, Brent, Haringey, and more. We continue to take, and act on, expert advice on all areas relating to cycling.
The Borough Partnership Initiative will serve as a vital source of funding for the Cycle Lifestyle project, thus ensuring the continued publication of this asset to Londoners.
Contact
For further information or to set up a Borough Partnership Initiative please contact Cycle Lifestyle’s editor Ben Irvine at benirvine@cyclelifestyle.co.uk or 07545 471 633