POC Member, Louis Kennedy, has worked with The Bikeability Trust to develop its new mascot and in-school initiatives.

Meet Wheelie, The Bikeability Trust’s new cycling ambassador, designed to champion the work of the charity, including its new fundraising appeal Cycles for Children, and encourage more children and adults to take up cycling.

The core aim of the Bikeability programme, which is managed by The Bikeability Trust, is to give everyone the skills and confidence to cycle, making cycling the norm for short journeys and helping people ride more safely and more often. Wheelie is a Bikeability Trust mascot and is separate from the government-funded Bikeability programme.

Louis Kennedy, experts in brand and charity partnerships, was appointed to design and develop Wheelie, following the success of its work with Strider, Living Streets’ walking mascot.

Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, introduced their mascot, Strider, in 2006 as part of a new visual look and brand update for their Walk to School campaign.

Louis Kennedy was appointed to develop the character and the annual school’s initiative, helping to drive awareness and participation.

Grant Morgan, founder and CEO of Louis Kennedy, said, “We are delighted to have been appointed by The Bikeability Trust to develop a character to champion the charity. For over 35 years we have worked with third-party licensed brands and charities to help grow funds and awareness. Our experience with Strider was our first project with a ‘charity owned’ property. The opportunity to develop Wheelie and his role to encourage cycling is extremely exciting. The alignment of Strider and Wheelie to our own property, the Fruities and Veggies, is terrific, encouraging children to lead more active and healthier lives.”

Emily Cherry MBE, chief executive of The Bikeability Trust, said, “Creating opportunities for children to cycle is at the heart of what we do, and Wheelie perfectly captures the sense of fun and possibility that cycling brings. We hope that Wheelie helps the Cycles for Children fundraiser connect with more families and supporters as we work to create access to cycles for those 1 in 4 children age 5–10 who don’t have one of their own.”