Monthly Archives: September 2022

Diversity In Cycling – second edition

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The second edition of Diversity in Cycling is published today, celebrating the individuals and initiatives that are helping to make cycling more inclusive and accessible.

First published in 2019 by Andy Edwards, a music business executive and experienced club cyclist, the report explores the experiences of riders from underrepresented backgrounds taking up cycling for the first time – in their own words.

Contributors to the second edition include Great Britain Cycling Team rider Sam Ruddock, representatives from a wide range of British Cycling clubs and coaches such as Richard Liston. Alongside these first-person accounts, the report also highlights a number of community programmes and enterprises – such as British Cycling’s City Academies programme and Bradford’s ‘Hop On’ initiative – which are already making a profound difference in Britain’s communities.

While many of the themes explored in the first edition remain, the updated version goes deeper, and also expands its sights to better reflect off-road disciplines, different areas of the UK and community initiatives, while also reflecting wider societal changes which have occurred since the report was first published in 2019.

The report also presents a series of recommendations for the sport, offering practical suggestions for encouraging greater diversity in cycling.

Ahead of publication, the report’s author, Andy Edwards, said:

“2020 was a landmark year. The murder of George Floyd prompted a more open conversation about racism, and, with the world in lockdown, more people discovered cycling, particularly from under-represented backgrounds. I gave the report a refresh to reflect this and switch things up. 

“The focus remains on race, but the broader scope of diversity is acknowledged. Since publishing the first edition in 2019, I have been diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, two protected characteristics. That means I am neurodiverse. I was a socially awkward teenager, but cycling gave me a sense of belonging. If one thing drives this work, it is a desire that all of us who call ourselves cyclists, whatever our background, feel the same sense of belonging cycling has always given me.”

Chair of the British Cycling Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, Aneela McKenna, said:

“I am delighted to see the second edition introduce new voices and perspectives from the broader cycling community, including road, off-road, and mountain biking disciplines. The report explicitly amplifies the voices of women in cycling, and, Andy worked with Naomi Rumble, Liyana Pama, and myself to apply an intersectionality lens to the report which uncovers the depth of inequalities uniquely experienced by women of colour in cycling.”

Diversity In Cycling is an independent grass roots project by cyclists for cyclists, written by experienced club cyclist Andy Edwards who worked collaboratively with clubs and groups across the UK.

The second edition takes a deeper dive into some of the core themes first explored in the first edition, including an expanded intersectionality section and a gender-balanced approach to commentaries and content. The term “BAME” is removed, with some context, and suggestions of what to use instead. The second edition introduces fresh voices and perspectives from across the UK cycling community, including road, off-road, Lycra, and non-Lycra. The focus remains race while acknowledging the broader scope of diversity and inclusion across all protected characteristics. 

Commentaries are provided by Shirla Poole of RideFest, Ronn Fraser of Kingston Wheelers, Farooq Chaudhry of Brothers on Bikes Bristol, Naomi Rumble director of Together We Ride, Fozia Naseem co-founder of community cycling programme HopOn in Bradford, Nasima Siddiqui of The Cycle Fit, British Cycling Youth Development Pathway coach Richard Liston and Sam Ruddock of the KC Academy.

Click HERE to read Diversity In Cycling or on the image below.

This Is Music 2022

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This Is Music was a difficult report to write this year because 2021 was a year of transition and mixed messages. The music industry began its recovery. Sort of. Live music reopened, then shut again, and this had a ripple effect on ancillary income that further disrupted the music industry, especially the music creators who lie at its heart.

For this year’s case study, I looked at Wolf Alice and the team around them. The band is well established in their career and better placed than most to weather the storm brought about by the pandemic. But even for a band at that level, it was not all plain sailing, and they had to adapt to changing circumstances. Please take a look.

As for the numbers, the music industry contributed £4 billion to the UK economy in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2021 – an increase of 26% on 2020. However, this was still 31% down on the £5.8 billion the industry contributed in 2019 pre-pandemic. That year, recording studios stayed open, however, they operated under strict COVID-19 protocols, and the continued enforcement of global travel restrictions meant that many international clients stayed away. 

Live music eventually returned, but not until mid-summer of 2021 and was disrupted again due to the Omicron variant. There were still many challenges, such as COVID-19 outbreaks

among artists and their road crews, which led to cancellations, and lower attendance at some live events, but the industry managed to make the most of the relatively short window to herald the return of live music. Even in the first quarter of 2022, many shows rescheduled, owing to the lingering impact of the Omicron variant.

Recorded and publishing-related income remained strong, with substantial increases in both streaming and vinyl revenues and a recovery in synchronisation (sync) income. Exports grew 10% to £2.5 billion but were still down 15% from 2019’s £2.9 billion. A lack of international touring, Brexit-related barriers, and a lack of music tourists visiting the UK have restricted export recovery. Nevertheless, recording and publishing export income continued to grow during 2021, even in the face of increased global competition. In a post-Brexit world, ensuring that trade agreements protect and support recording and publishing income for music creators and rights owners alike will be crucial to sustaining future growth.

Employment improved year-on-year, up 14% to 145,000 in 2021, but was still 26% lower than 197,000 in 2019. Music creators and live music workers experienced the greatest decline in employment and while both sectors are recovering, there is a long way to go. Those who could access government schemes, such as the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), were well placed to return to work once live music resumed at the end of July. Many industry organisations provided hardship funds to support those most vulnerable, but those who fell through the cracks either retired, retrained, or sought alternative employment in other sectors.

I believe that employment will recover further during 2023, but some individuals may have left the industry for good. There are skills shortages in some areas, for example, freelance crew and musicians, and a lack of access to a European workforce to plug the gaps for UK based events.

The recovery has begun, but there is still a long way to go. The British music industry cannot take anything for granted in rebuilding and ensuring that it retains its place as a leader in the global music market.

Click here to read the report.