Problem addressed

The association, based in Île-de-France, operates in a region where cycling is one of the preferred modes of transport. However, access to cycling remains uneven, as not everyone has had the opportunity to learn how to ride a bike.

This divide creates barriers for some people, forcing them to turn to more expensive and polluting transport options. In 2023, mobility difficulties were ranked as the second biggest obstacle to returning to work.

Innovative solution

CyclAvenir is a social inclusion project that promotes cycling through improved access.

Through its cycling training courses, CyclAvenir enables people in vulnerable situations – particularly women, those who have experienced homelessness, exiles, refugees and asylum seekers – to reconnect with the city in a healthier way. By teaching people to cycle, the organisation supports projects aimed at helping people enter the workforce and promotes access to culture for groups who are often excluded from these two fundamental rights.

CyclAvenir offers three key programmes:

En S’Elles ! supports women in vulnerable situations as they discover and master urban cycling;
Tou(r)s à vélo is a programme offering everyone a guided tour of Paris and its cultural sites, centred on socially engaged themes such as gender equality, decolonisation and the Republic;
Cycl-à-lire is aimed at families and children, deploying a mobile Japanese reading and theatre unit to provide a unique, travelling cultural experience.

Key results and benefits

Thanks to short- and long-term programmes, more than 88 % of female beneficiaries say they now feel confident cycling around town.

In total, more than 320 women took part in the training programmes, 150 of whom acquired a bicycle at the end of the programme. Among the programme’s beneficiaries, more than 62 % say they have seen an improvement in their quality of life thanks to regular cycling.