MORE BIKES? YES PLEASE

I Bike MCR Constitution

Our vision is a less car-dominated city, in which people choose to use the bicycle as a form of transport, which benefits their health and the environment.

Our mission is to work on practical and imaginative solutions to promote cycling and to normalise the use of cycling as a valid alternative to the car.

Our main aim is to transform Manchester's transport system and cycling culture.

We aim to:

· Bring together cyclists from a variety of cycling backgrounds to build a stronger cycling community in Manchester, through organising cycling and social events throughout the year.

· Raise awareness about cycling.

· Empower cyclists to feel part of their cycling community, through grassroots working. We encourage full participation and the organisation of events that we in the cycling community would like to see happen.

· Promote the bicycle as a form of transport over car culture and its varied benefits. Riding a bicycle instead of driving a car has been proven to help people keep fit and healthy, improve their mental health and reduce pollution (The British Nutrition Foundation , 2005).

· Organise events where people can share skills, experience and knowledge with people from different generations, religions, abilities and cultures.

How we work

· We are determined to make a real contribution to the quality of life in Manchester and to leave each volunteer and participant with the knowledge that they have successfully striven for a genuine sustainable future.

· I Bike MCR is not afraid to take risks, developing projects that government or private businesses will not or cannot. We are values-led rather than revenue driven.

· I Bike MCR's success relies on the commitment of its volunteers to the groups aims. We work at a grassroots level, with all members of the group being local cyclists. We rely on the local knowledge and practical assistance of volunteers. Not only does this give us legitimacy, but we seek the input of everyone involved to the direction our work should follow. In all our relationships, both internal and external, we seek to be equitable and open and to work to the highest standards of inclusiveness and sustainability.

· We are a non-hierarchical and make decisions by consensus in order to value the opinions and ideas of everyone that takes part. We are a not for profit group and organise activities that are free of charge to participants. This is because we believe that activities should be available to all, no matter their economic position.

· We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of all human beings.

· We believe in organising things for ourselves rather than asking others to do it for us. We want to make Manchester a less car-dominated city and since we do not think that lobbying can have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organisations and governments, in which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker, we take it upon ourselves to help make this happen.