Work in partnership with us to tackle the challenges of congestion, air pollution, physical inactivity, and social inequality, by making it easier for people to walk and cycle.
For professionalsYour support helps to give children access to the training and equipment they need to ride a bike safely - starting a cycle of good that can go on to benefit their health, education and future.
Get involvedEarly in 2022, we asked residents across England to nominate their local heroes – people who have made a positive impact on their local communities.
These ‘heroes’ have been immortalised in steel as part of our portrait bench campaign.
Read more about our local heroes and where you can find these new artworks.
Portrait benches is a project led by ߣߣÊÓƵ to commemorate local heroes across the regions through which the National Cycle Network travels.Ìý
In total, so far, we've created over 250 of these life-sized figures across the length and breadth of the Network.Ìý
Fabricated from steel, the special portraits celebrate local historical or cultural figures, watching on as you take a rest on a bench at different Network routes across the country.Ìý
The last instalment of these was 11 years ago when we celebrated local heroes including:Ìý
Thanks to funding from the Department for Transport, we launched a series of artworks across England as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.Ìý
We asked the public to nominate who, in the last 70 years (alive or passed), they thought these inspiring benches should represent. Ìý
Now our newest portrait benches are ready. They include:
These new portraits have been created by the skilled hands of artists Katy and Nick Hallett.Ìý