Stride and Ride into Town

If you're local and you’ve ever stopped by our blue gazebo on the last Saturday of the month in Kettering town centre, you’ll know how much we love chatting about cycles, trikes, scooters and everything that gets people moving.

For the past three years, those monthly “active travel hubs” have been a highlight for the Brightwayz team – a chance to offer free cycle safety checks, security marking, maps, and a friendly ear for anyone who wants safer streets.

Now I’m thrilled to share some news that has felt like watching a brilliant idea grow its own legs (and wheels). Some of the Brightwayz  team have joined others to launch a new community‑interest company – Stride & Ride CIC – and they’re taking over the running of our monthly hubs. The group is made up of local active travel advocates who care deeply about making Kettering and the surrounding areas easier, safer and more welcoming for walking, cycling, scooting and wheeling.

Why the Change to Stride & Ride?

After 22 years of Brightwayz promoting sustainable travel, we’ve seen demand for local initiatives soar. People want better routes, safer crossings, and a town centre that works for everyone – whether they’re on a mobility scooter, pushing a pram, or cycling with their family. It felt like the perfect moment to pass some of the hands‑on activities to a new group that can grow them with even more community input. Stride & Ride CIC is led by local people who live and breathe Kettering, and we couldn’t be happier to support them as they find their feet. Their work already goes beyond the hubs but their most visible presence is the monthly hubs. Brightwayz will still be there in the background to provide support as needed (for example providing free use of our Brightwayz van to collect local cycle donations) but these active travel hubs will be headed up by Stride & Ride CIC.

What Happens at the Active Travel Hubs?

If you haven’t been yet, you’re in for a treat. On the last Saturday of every month you’ll find the team near the Market Place (outside the Royal Hotel) from 11am to 3pm. The team offer:

• Free cycle safety checks - a qualified mechanic makes sure your cycle is roadworthy and can advise on fixes needed.
• Basic servicing and adjustments - gears tweaked, brake cables and blocks replaced, punctures fixed.
• Low cost cycle sales - and pick up point for matching refurbished bikes to project participants to make cycling in Kettering affordable for all.
• Security marking - to help deter theft and reunite lost cycles with their owners.
• Maps, advice and a friendly chat – about local routes, neighbourhood plans, or just your favourite way to get about.

The next hub is Saturday 25 April, and thanks to a generous community grant from Kettering Town Council, the monthly events so far this winter have had financial support – meaning the specialist mechanic’s expertise has been available at no cost to visitors. The Stride & Ride team are working on securing further funding to cover the months ahead. The rest of the team are volunteers, so these grants makes a huge difference.

More Than Just Fixing and Selling Cycles

When we started the hubs, our hope was always that they’d become a space for conversation. People stop to talk about where they’d love to see a new crossing, how they feel cycling into town, or what would make their journey to school or work feel safer. Stride & Ride are carrying that forward with their motto: “Kettering voices for safer travel choices.”

Together with them we’ve also actively supporting local consultations, including the Kettering Town Centre Neighbourhood Plan, where “Movement and Connectivity” is a key theme and being embedded into development planning rules. It’s about making sure the people who live, work and travel here have a real say in how our streets are shaped.

Long‑Term Dreams

Those of us volunteering in Stride & Ride all have big ambitions – and I love that. We’re already looking ahead to establishing a permanent active travel hub in the town centre, and we want to see safer, better‑connected routes linking Kettering with nearby villages and Burton Latimer. It’s exactly the kind of community‑led, practical vision that Brightwayz was founded on.

So if you’re in Kettering, please come and say hello to those of us in the Stride & Ride team on 25 April or any last Saturday of the month. Bring your cycle, your scooter, or just your ideas.  We welcome anyone who’d like to get involved and we’d love to hear how you’d like to travel around our town – safely, happily and actively.

For more info visit: www.strideandride.org.uk

Here at Brightwayz social enterprise we love to provide information and tips to help you, your colleagues, friends and family travel in safe, active, sustainable ways for everyday journeys.

Our unique range of products is here to help support your active travel campaigns and 100% of profits from sales is ploughed back to support the work we do. Take a look at our range here and find something to help you inspire others to travel in good ways.