Pedal Power: A Warm Welcome Space Built on Inclusion, Opportunity and Connection

For more than 20 years, Pedal Power has been supporting inclusive cycling, volunteering and community connection. At the heart of this work is its cafe and cycling hub, which together function as a Warm Welcome Space, offering warmth, belonging and opportunity without pressure to spend. People are welcome to come in, sit down, take part and stay for as long as they need, whether or not they buy anything.

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Keeping the space warm and the doors open does bring challenges. Heating costs are significant and energy bills remain a major consideration. Pedal Power has invested in solar panels to reduce long-term costs and is seeking funding to continue energy-efficiency improvements and to install an additional front door to improve accessibility and heat retention.

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Pedal Power’s ethos centres on empowerment, opportunity, inclusion and accessibility. The space sees itself as a stepping stone: a safe place where people can learn, volunteer, gain confidence and develop skills at their own pace, with guests aged up to 96.

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This approach is reflected in the space’s leadership. Sam, who has worked at Pedal Power for nine years, has held a range of roles including Cycling Instructor, Project Worker, Volunteer Coordinator, Senior Officer and now Director. This experience has shaped a strong understanding of volunteer needs, accessibility and creating safe environments. Volunteering opportunities focus on learning rather than pressure and include work placements, Duke of Edinburgh opportunities and family volunteering for children under 16.

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Volunteering is central to Pedal Power’s work, with around 50 volunteers involved on average. Volunteers come through community organisations or schools or because they are retired and include people with disabilities or anxiety. People are supported according to their comfort and ability, with some starting in behind-the-scenes roles such as washing up before moving into a cafe or cycling role. Training is offered to everyone, and safety is prioritised, with volunteer-led cycle rides. 

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The cafe operates as an open and flexible community hub. It is free for community groups to use, with no hire charge, moveable furniture and the option for guests to bring in their own food to support specific dietary requirements. It is especially important as a Warm Welcome Space during the winter months and hosts a wide range of groups, including psychosis support groups, craft groups, Scope groups and informal carers’ groups.

Every Friday, between five and 10 wheelchair users who use power-assisted chairs meet  informally in the cafe alongside their unpaid and paid carers. Over time, the cafe has become a trusted meeting point where carers meet other carers and support one another, with conversations happening naturally and without formality.

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The cafe has been vegetarian for nearly 10 years, chosen to improve accessibility for volunteers, simplify food hygiene and offer inclusive, healthy food. Affordability is a strong priority, with tea priced at £1.60 and other drinks and Welsh cakes kept deliberately low-cost. All soups are made in-house, alongside toasties and wraps, with locally sourced cakes and coffee. The cafe also sells small community retail items such as hand-knitted gloves, pottery seconds, local raw honey and small artworks.

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Art plays an important role in the space, with the cafe offering free display space for local artists and community groups, with no commission taken on sales. Displays rotate every four to six weeks and have included work from Beechwood College, which supports autistic students, and art created by Scope users linked to Disability Pride.

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Adaptive cycling is central to Pedal Power’s identity, with side-by-side bikes, tandems and supported cycling groups available. A tandem group for visually impaired riders runs every other Saturday, with cafe income helping to fund supported cycling. The space demonstrates flexibility and trust by opening the cafe for free so a member could start a visually impaired running group.

Pedal Power is also involved in creative community events, including annual Lantern Rides that have been running for three years. These bring the community together through free drop-in workshops, willow lantern-making, decorated bikes and free hot chocolate, with a focus on wellbeing, connection and bringing light during the darker months. 

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During lockdown, Pedal Power worked with Butetown Carnival to create large-scale lanterns and walkabout puppets, including a 13-foot puppet used in carnival events, and the space remains involved in local carnival culture. Local carnival artist Nikki Fogarty has been involved for eight years, supporting lantern-making workshops and regularly joining Friday social rides.

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Music and performance feature strongly through a partnership with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, with a student performing in the cafe every Friday during term time. An end-of-year celebration includes a live classical guitar performance, with the cafe staying open later and free to attend. The cafe also hosts informal performances from disability and supported living groups, with performances focusing on building confidence, not perfection.

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Community-led cafe takeovers are another part of Pedal Power’s work. One example is the Believe Project, part of South Riverside Community Development Centre, which supports women into work and took over the cafe for a day to create a South Indian cafe experience. These takeovers give participants confidence, practical experience, and a chance to celebrate skills and cultures.

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The long-term impact of Pedal Power can be seen in the loyalty of its volunteers, many of whom stay involved for years. One volunteer, Joyce, has volunteered for 17 years. Pedal Power has also inspired other accessible cycling charities across the UK. Through its cafe, cycling hub and Warm Welcome ethos, Pedal Power continues to offer a space where people can connect, grow and belong, at their own pace and on their own terms.

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