Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2025
## **Cyclox**
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) number 1190137
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## **Contents**
|Trustees’ Report|Trustees’ Report|3||
|---|---|---|---|
|1.|Objectives and Activities||3|
|2.|Progress and achievements 2024/2025||3|
||Staffing||3|
||Campaigns||3|
||a)
Challenge motonormativity||3|
||b)
Engaging with the Council||4|
||c)
The Congestion Charge||4|
||d)
Shared E-bike schemes||4|
||e)
Petitioning||4|
||Support people who cycle, and want to cycle, in Oxford||4|
||f)
Community engagement and Dr Bike sessions||4|
||g)
Kidical Mass||4|
||h)
Engaging with schools||5|
||Campaign for improved cycling infrastructure and safety for people who cycle (Vision Zero)||5|
||i)
Oxfordshire County Council’s Vision Zero Strategy||5|
||j)
Implementing the strategy||5|
||k)
Fundraising||5|
||l)
Consultations||5|
||Communications||6|
||Membership||6|
||Equality and diversity||7|
|3.|Plans for 2026||7|
|4.|Reference and Administrative Details||8|
|5.|Structure, Governance and Management||9|
|6.|Trustees’ Responsibilities||9|
|7.|Statement of compliance||9|
||Independent Examiner’s Report to the Board of Trustees|10||
||Statement of Financial Activities|11||
||Notes to the Financial Statements|14||
||Appendix 1: Fund Movement Summary|16||
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024
## **Trustees’ Report**
The Trustees submit their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31[st] August 2025. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the accompanying document.
The Charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO): number 1190137.
## **1. Objectives and Activities**
Our charitable objects, as set out in our constitution, are:
To promote cycling for the public benefit in and around Oxford as a means of furthering the following purposes:
- (i) The advancement of education
- (ii) The promotion of public health
- (iii) The promotion of public safety particularly on the highways
- (iv) The advancement of environment protection and the prevention and mitigation of climate change
by whatever means the trustees think fit, including advocating and campaigning on all matters relating to cycling and other forms of transport, and encouraging and enabling members of the public, irrespective of their age, ability, gender, race, or social or economic circumstances, to cycle, through the provision of cycling facilities, services, training, educational activities and public meetings.
Our purpose is to get more people in and around Oxford cycling, more often, and more safely.
## **2. Progress and achievements 2024/2025**
## _**Staffing**_
For the first time in its history, Cyclox has been able to employ staff. In December 2024, we made two appointments: Thalia Carr was appointed as Campaigns and Communications Lead, two days per week, for an initial period of 12 months. Emily Green was appointed as the Operations and Research Lead, also for two days per week, for an initial period of 12 months.
Cyclox secured a generous donation that will enable us to significantly expand our capacity over the next few years, including on staff. Following Emily’s departure in July 2025, the funds have been deployed to extend the Campaigns and Communications Lead post until December 2027.
We created a new post of Infrastructure and Operations Lead. The post is full-time for two years in the first instance. It will support the work of Infrastructure Group (and connect its work to the rest of what Cyclox does), provide operational support for the organisation and help us develop and implement a fundraising strategy. We have appointed Jane Gibb to this post, who started in January 2026.
## _**Campaigns**_
## **a) Challenge motonormativity**
In January 2025, we launched a campaign to change the conversation about who and what the city is for and to encourage debate about what it means and takes to make the city fair, safe, and pleasant for everyone. Concrete asks included blanket 20mph zones in Oxford. This campaign included a well-attended ‘Car Brain’ public meeting in March.
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024
## **b) Engaging with the Council**
In the run up to the local elections, we posted video interviews with candidates on social media, an distributed information about Oxvote – the tactical voting website. Post-election, we sent a list of Cyclox ‘asks’ to all elected councillors, setting out steps the new Council could make to improve Oxford for people cycling.
## **c) The Congestion Charge**
Major improvements for cycling in Oxford (junction re-design, re-allocating road space) can only happen if overall numbers of cars on the city’s roads are reduced. Cyclox has supported the congestion charge (as it will traffic filters, an expanded ULEZ zone, and workplace parking levy).
Cyclox has actively campaigned in supporting the introduction of the temporary Congestion Charge. This involved working closely with bus companies, organising events, speaking at Cabinet meetings and giving interviews to BBC Oxford, BBC South, ITV news and local media.
Cyclox members regularly speak at Cabinet decision meetings and full Council meetings on active travelrelated topics.
## **d) Shared E-bike schemes**
We have worked closely with both Lime Bikes and Voi, as well as with the Council, to assist in developing proposals for a significant expansion of the shared E-bike and E-scooter scheme in the city and its immediate environs.
## **e) Petitioning**
We supported successful local petitions to remove advertisements and school coaches from the Plain. In the latter case we also engaged directly with the School.
## _**Support people who cycle, and want to cycle, in Oxford**_
## **f) Community engagement and Dr Bike sessions**
We ran stalls with Dr. Bike repair sessions at six community events this year at: Headington Festival, Florence Park, Bike Oxford, Rose Hill, Friends of the Earth day in Broad Street, and the Vision Zero Road Safety Day in Broad Street. A small group of volunteers help us to run the stalls.
Many thanks go to trustee Kathryn McNicoll who has organised stalls for the last nine years. Kathryn has put a huge amount of work and time into making them the success they have been.
## **g) Kidical Mass**
We held one Kidical Mass ride this year in May 2025, with 150 riders. This was a joy – a celebration of Triple A cycling (All Ages and Abilities) and a small protest about making streets safe for all users.
Volunteer Cyclox member Chris Baker has taken over the organisation of the ride, and will do so again next year.
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024
## **h) Engaging with schools**
In June and July, Cyclox staff worked to build support for Bike buses in Oxford schools – setting them up, contacting headteachers, communicating with parents, seeking volunteers. This entailed three visits per school per bike bus – initial leafleting, information meeting and the actual bike bus. Four bike buses were initiated, one of which is still running. We learned a lot and now have resources we can send to Oxford schools next spring.
We have also recently bid for funding to run a scheme with primary schools in Blackbird Leys and Rose Hill identifying barriers to cycling and delivering a series of Dr. Bike sessions for children, parents and staff.
## _**Campaign for improved cycling infrastructure and safety for people who cycle (Vision Zero)**_
## **i) Oxfordshire County Council’s Vision Zero Strategy**
This year our Vision Zero campaigning has focused on advocacy for Vision Zero with Oxfordshire County Council. We continued to take part in the Oxfordshire County Council Vision Zero partnership and to press for measures that will enable the Council to meet its targets for reductions in deaths and serious injury.
## **j) Implementing the strategy**
Cyclox is a member of the Vision Zero Steering Group. This is the County Council’s oversight board for their Vision Zero programme. Ian Loader usually attends on behalf of Cyclox, along with Robin Tucker from the Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel, Jeremy Leach from Action Vision Zero and a representative from Thames Valley Police. The continued absence of the police involvement remains a major block to delivery of the strategy and Cyclox has joined a national group set up by Action Vision Zero to set up a national campaign on road crime justice.
We are also a member of the County Council’s external stakeholder group which representatives of motoring organisations, haulage companies, horse riders, motor bike riders, cycling and walking groups, and the police.
Cyclox continues to argue for all residential roads, including city arterial roads to be 20mph. We have made several representations to the county council but the Oxford bus companies remain opposed to the campaign.
We continue to work with coalition partners and other organisations to ensure the Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan is implemented. The major component of that plan is the congestion charge, which was implemented in October 2025 for one year. The proposed traffic filters have been postponed until late 2026 when the Botley Road is anticipated to reopen once work under the railway bridge is completed.
## **k) Fundraising**
Cyclox secured a generous donation that will enable us to significantly expand our capacity over the next few years, including on staff. We also secured funds through the Big Give and through ongoing support of our membership.
## **l) Consultations**
During the year September 2024 to August 2025 our Infrastructure Group has been as usual very active. Our team of 10 volunteers –– experts in cycling infrastructure, street architecture and urban design –– spent over 300 hours of their time responding to consultations issued by Oxfordshire County Council, Highways Authority, City Council planning applications, residential and commercial development proposals, and proposals on local and national policy.
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024
They meet twice a month to review the latest consultations and infrastructure proposals. Each response is led by a member of the team. Where feasible and necessary, our active travel partners (such as, the Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel, Cycling UK local representatives, Oxford Civic Society and the Oxfordshire Cycling Network) are involved and consulted.
Our preliminary responses are often shared with current members residing, or working, near the proposed site for development or improvement and our responses consider comments we have received from Cyclox members.
You can view the list of formal consultations we have responded to over the past year. This though is only a small part of the work we do, as we are increasingly getting involved in more informal input before the formal planning stage. This is where our expert contributions have the most impact. In doing this we build relationships with decision-makers to influence schemes early in their development and pursue methods of co-production.
The Group has worked closely on a _Cycle Design Guide for a Better Oxford_ which we will be launching in early 2026.
The Group has also this year been working on a new strategy. The aim in the coming year is to work and campaign more proactively, and to connect the Group’s work to other areas of Cyclox activity. Recent fundraising has secured a ‘Visualisation fund’ to procure junction re-designs which can be used for campaigning.
Cyclox has standing representation on the local Vision Zero steering group, the Oxfordshire County Council’s Active Travel Group, and various more issue-specific working groups and committees.
## _**Communications**_
Over the past year our communications have been focused on engaging current members with the work we do, in particular through Vision Zero, and providing a service to the wider Oxfordshire cycling community (by promoting partnerships and encouraging action on local cycling issues). Anyone can now opt in to receive our monthly newsletter, event announcements, and volunteer opportunities emails.
Cyclox maintains working relations with many local news organisations. We are routinely called upon for comment and we feature regularly in the Oxford Mail and Times, the Clarion, BBC and ITV news and other media outlets. We issue regular press releases, maintain a blog, and have an active presence on BlueSky, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram
We are very grateful to Cyclox volunteer Jane Buekett for her editorial support with the website, newsletter and the blog.
## _**Membership**_
Cyclox’s membership currently stands at 523 (compared to 580 last year). We had 39 new members in the last 12 months (compared to 48 in the previous year) and 91 members who did not renew (compared to 80 in the previous year).
Our three and five year memberships continue to be popular, representing 27% and 40% of the membership, respectively.
Our current Membership categories (all for 1, 3 or 5 years) are: Individual, Household (for up to 5 people at the same address) and Concessionary (for those who are unwaged (including students in full-time education) and members of affiliated clubs and groups (currently the Cowley Road Condors, VC Jericho,
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024
Oxonian CC & The Oxford Cycling Club). NB The retired may choose whichever category they consider best suits their circumstances.
Membership analysis (previous year figures in brackets) – overall very little change Gender: Male 54% (55%), female 44% (43%), 2% other/unknown.
Ethnicity: White 88.5% (83.4%), Black 0.2% (0.2%), Asian 0.6% (0.9%), Mixed 2.5% (2.6%), unknown 8.2% (12.9%).
## _**Equality and diversity**_
Yuri Silva Velasquez is the new lead trustee for equality and diversity. Our progress in diversifying our board of trustees means that out of 11 trustees, 4 are female.
## **3. Plans for 2026**
These are some of Cyclox’s main priorities for the coming year:
First, we are developing a new strategy. This means reviewing what we have achieved over the past three years - https://www.cyclox.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cyclox_Strategy_2023-2026_final.pdf.
But it also means revisiting the question of what kind of organisation we want Cyclox to be, what we want it to do, and what campaigns and projects we want it to run, or seek funding for. We will be seeking the views of our members on these questions with a view to getting a new three-year strategy, campaign and project priorities in place early in 2026.
We will continue to work closely and supportively with the Council when they propose measures to enhance safe and inclusive cycling in Oxford. But we will also press them to be more ambitious and to go further and faster. We will also call them out when we think they have fallen short.
We will, in this spirit, continue to campaign in defence of the Congestion Charge and traffic filters, and for the money raised by the Charge to be spent improving sustainable and active travel.
We will also be looking for ways to actively involve our members in our work and devising and implementing a fundraising plan.
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024
## **4. Reference and Administrative Details**
Charity name Cyclox Charity registration number 1190137 Registration as a Charitable Incorporated 24[th] June 2020 Organisation Registered address 1 Aristotle Lane Oxford OX2 6TP Website: www.cyclox.org Email: contact@cyclox.org Phone: 07931769484 Trustees as of 23[rd] June 2026 Thurstan Bannister Ian Callaghan Ian Loader – Appointed 03.10.24 – Chair of Trustees Alison Moore Kathryn McNicoll Simon Pratt – Appointed 18.05.26 Beenish Robinson Richard Scrase Matthew Turner – Appointed 02.02.26 Yuri Silva Velázquez Steve Unwin
Kate Arnold - Retired 10.10.25 Alison Chivers - Retired 19.11.24 Andy Chivers – Retired 19.11.24 James Dawton – Retired 19.11.24 Ben Sawyer - Retired 16.02.26
Honorary secretary Kathryn McNicoll
Comms and Campaigns
Thalia Carr
Infrastructure and Operations Lead
Jane Gibb
Bankers
From August 2020
Unity Trust Bank PLC 4 Brindley Place Birmingham B1 2JB
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024
## **5. Structure, Governance and Management**
The Charity was established on 24[th] June 2020 and assumed the assets and liabilities of the unincorporated organisation that preceded it. The Charity is governed by a constitution that sets out the powers and responsibilities of the Trustees in fulfilling the Charity’s objectives.
The Trustees when complete consist of at least five and not more than fifteen individuals. At every annual general meeting of the members of the CIO, one-third of the elected charity trustees shall retire from office. The terms of office of all trustees commenced at our first AGM held on 17[th] November 2020. New Trustees spend time with the existing Trustees to ensure they understand their responsibilities and the legal and financial framework in which the Charity operates. For reference, all Trustees are issued with the Charity Commission’s publication ‘The Essential Trustee: What you need to know’.
The Trustees have reviewed the major risks relating to the operation of the Charity, and systems and procedures have been established and implemented to manage those risks.
## **6. Trustees’ Responsibilities**
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Law applicable to Charities in England & Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period, which give a true and fair view of the Charity’s financial activities during the period, and of its financial position at the end of the period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- Observe the methods and principles in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP)
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- State whether applicable UK accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
- Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operation
The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the Charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Trust Deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
## **7. Statement of compliance**
This report complies with the requirements of the Charity’s constitution (based on the ‘association’ model CIO constitution authorised by the Charity Commission), which is the Charity’s governing document.
Approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by: Ian Loader, Chair of Trustees.
Date: 23 June 2026
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024
**Independent Examiner’s Report to the Board of Trustees** For the year ended 31st August, 2025
I report on the Financial Statements of the charity for the year ended 31st August 2025. These comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, Assets and Liabilities Statement, Notes 1 to 8 to the Financial Statements and Appendix 1 – Fund Movement Summary.
## Respective responsibilities of trustees and the independent examiner:
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under sec on 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the financial statements under sec on 145 of the 2011 Act;
- follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission under sec on 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
- state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## Basis of the independent examiner’s report:
My examination n was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the financial statements present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
- to keep accounting records in accordance with sec on 130 of the 2011 Act; and
- to prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting records of the 2011 Act have not been met;
2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
## _Ian Metcalfe_
Ian Metcalfe Director -- Oxford Accountants for Business Ltd Date 5th November 2025
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024
## **Statement of Financial Activities**
Income and expenditure for the period of 1[st] September 2024 – 31[st] August 2025
Further details of income and expenditure is in Appendix 1.
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2025
## **Asset & Liability Statement**
Cash assets as at 31[st] August 2025. See note 8.
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2025
The Charity Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 with respect to accounting records and the preperation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with:
- Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) (FRS 102), 2[nd] Edition issued on 1 January 2019[12]
- Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (FRS 102)
- Charities Act 2011.
In accordance with Charity Commission guidance on the independent examination of charity accounts[3] , Ian Metcalfe has been appointed by the Board of Trustees to provide an independent examination of the FY24/25 accounts.
Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by:
Ian Loader, Chair of Trustees
> 1 - Charity reporting and accounting: the essentials November 2016 GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
> 2 - The Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
> 3 - Independent examination of charity accounts: guidance for trustees GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
1. **Accounting Policies - Basis of Preparation.** These accounts have been prepared in accordance with:
- Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) (FRS 102), 2[nd] Edition issued on 1 January 2019
- Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (FRS 102)
- Charities Act 2011.
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
Starting from 1 August 2023, Cyclox has opted to move from an accuals account to a receipts and payments account. Receipts and payments accounts are a simpler accounting option for smaller charities (gross income less than £250k). The main difference is that movement of money is reported when it occurred, not when the cost was incurred. Also, the requirement for a balance sheet is replaced by a simpler asset and liability statement.
As part of the transfer to receipts and payments accounting, we have reviewed our assets and asset management policy. In the future, only significant physical assets (worth more than £500) will be documented in the Asset & Liability statement. The stock and tangible assets (Telraams Counters) documented in the FY 22/23 balance sheet fall below this threshold.
2. **Assessment of going concern.** The trustees have assessed whether the use of going concern
assumption is appropriate in preparing these accounts. The trustees have made this assessment in respect to a period of 1 year from the date of approval of these accounts.
The trustees of the charity have concluded that there are no material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees are of the opinion that the charity will have sufficient resources to meet its liabilities as they fall due.
## 3. **Fund accounting policy.**
- **Unrestricted** income funds are generally funds that are available for use at the trustees’ discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.
- **Restricted** funds are those donated for use in a particular area or for specific purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose.
4. **Taxation.** The company is a registered charity and is, therefore, exempt from taxation.
5. **Controlling entity.** The charity is controlled by the trustees.
6. **Receipts - incoming resources.** This includes:
- Voluntary income including, gifts, donations, membership subscriptions, sponsorship and grants.
- Tax reclaims (gift aid)
- Charitable activities income, including sales of goods or services from the charity’s activities.
7. **Payments - resources expended.** Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
8. **Cash.**
- Unity Trust Bank (UTB) is our main bank account.
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2025
- PayPal is predominantly used to receive membership payments. Cash is periodically transferred to the UTB account.
- SumUp is used to collect donations at stalls and events. Cash is automatically transferred to UTB monthly.
- We are in the process of identifying a savings account(s) to reduce the money in the UTB account and to increase interest earned.
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Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2025
Appendix I: Fund Movement Summarv
FuNMe
opetsln9 Ea*nce
itsctyme
Expetsditure
cl1 Bèlance
I.DDD
Sanctuary Whe&ls (RestdI
39.094
5.D45
29.883
743
TOTAL
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