A SOUTH Lakes cycling club have received a cash boost.

South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) has given £1,750 to Kendal Cycle Club as part of the authority’s grants scheme for carbon reduction projects.

Iain Childs, coach at Kendal Cycle Club, believes that the funding will help their goal to make cyclists more confident on the town’s roads.

Mr Childs said: “Across the UK more and more people are cycling.

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“One of the biggest barriers for people to ride their bikes is confidence on the road.

“Providing people with the knowledge and skills will reduce this barrier to cycling and make them feel more comfortable riding in and around Kendal.

“As a community club, we see the mental and physical benefits of riding a bike and want to support others to be able to cycle for commuting, leisure and sport.”

Specifically, the grant will be used to provide cycle training up to Bikeability Level 3.

The government-recognised training aims to develop riders’ skills and confidence so they can ride in different road environments.

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Cyclewise, a Cumbria-based Bikeability training provider, run the training.

Isobel Stoddart, communications director at the Bikeability Trust and Kendal Cycle Club member, said: “The Bikeability Trust is delighted that Kendal Cycle Club has teamed up with the Bikeability provider, Cyclewise to provide adult cycle training.

“We know that training can make a significant contribution to getting more people cycling, more often and more safely.”

In addition to this, Kendal Town Council received £2000 to support Kendal’s Climate Change Citizens Jury.

In all, £20,000 worth of grants were handed to 10 organisations, which were approved by SLDC’s Climate Change Community Fund.

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South Cumbria Rivers Trust, Ambleside Action for a Future and Cumbria Wildlife Trust also received grants.

Councillor Dyan Jones, SLDC’s Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Localism, said: “This fund was aimed at supporting local action in our communities and the successful projects, while diverse in nature, all support SLDC’s carbon neutral targets in sustainable ways.

“Thinking globally and acting locally is key to everything we want to achieve through our Climate Change Action Plan and I can’t wait to see the great things these groups are going to do with these grants.”

Coniston Parish Council, GCAN, Gill Banks Action Group. The Friends of Noble’s Rest and Burneside Community Energy all received grants too.

The fund was approved at the same time as SLDC’s Climate Change Action Plan to support the council’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and supports a county-wide carbon neutral target of 2037.