When the club was formed in the second quarter of 2017, no-one knew whether the idea would take off. Thankfully an eye-catching kit design initially caught people’s attention, following on from that people started to connect with each other via social media and the humble beginnings of a community emerged.
Below are some of the things we managed to achieve in our first year..
- Created a distinctive club kit with clothing options for all weather conditions
- Affiliated the club with British Cycling and had our kit approved for official British Cycling races
- Members have competed in both cycling and running events, perhaps the most notable being the Red Bull Time Laps event
- Building a social media presence primarily on Instagram but also on Facebook. Using this platform to connect with non vegans in a constructive and positive way
- Built a website and blog
- Our southern members attended an Essex Pig Save Slaughterhouse Vigil in order to see first hand the injustices that farmed animals suffer and to share their experiences with a wider audience
So, what’s on the cards for 2018!?
- Continue to build and expand our community
- Our biggest co-ordinated meet up yet at the Tour De Yorkshire Sportive in May
- New online shop to sell a merchandise range to include water bottles, socks, buffs, casual clothing and much more
- Stall at London Vegfest in 2018, we are also hoping to host a “Watt Bike” competition, details to be confirmed neared the time
- Formalising the structure of the club by creating a club constitution
- Build up the race team and get on the podium!
- Improve the website, create more content and build up a subscriber base
- Look for opportunities to get a story on the club featured in both vegan and non vegan publications