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Forestry England

The title of the next case study after this one

Forestry England manages much of England’s forests, and has responsibility for a large proportion of England’s mountain bike trails. The organisation used the FIAS Framework to develop a programme that would foster an inclusive culture in their regional hubs and tackle baked-in gender inequality. The main areas of the programme are as follows:

1. The programme built opportunities for women+ to become leaders in local mountain biking, through:

  • Funded training for women+ ride leaders and coaches, in collaboration with women tutors from a local company. This training was in women+-only groups with a woman tutor.
  • Supporting women+ to run their own group rides, building links between existing groups and providing support for new informal communities setting up in the forest.
A woman in a helmet abseiling down a gritstone rock face

Key learning from the pilot:

  • Visibility matters: Who people see shapes who feels welcome.
  • Leadership is key: Supporting women+ into leadership roles is key to driving sustainable change.