When we recently visited Seacroft Cycles, we were greeted by founder Clarrie Ramsden’s trademark smile.

Almost immediately, she pointed to her knee.

“This is my bionic knee,” she laughed.

Having recently undergone knee replacement surgery, Clarrie spoke about not being able to cycle properly for almost three years. The first time she got back on a bike after her operation was an emotional moment.

She admitted she was in tears.

For Clarrie, cycling has never just been about getting from A to B. It’s about independence, confidence, wellbeing and connection. Experiencing those benefits again reminded her exactly why Seacroft Cycles exists in the first place.

More than two years on from its beginnings, that passion can still be felt the moment you walk through the door.

And what started as an idea has grown into something much bigger.

 

  Clarrie and Mark welcome visitors with a smile.

 

More Than a Bike Project

To describe Seacroft Cycles as a small community group would be doing them a disservice.

Today, they are a thriving operation supported by volunteers, part-time staff and a growing network of local partners. Based within Seacroft Active Travel Hub, they have built an impressive reputation for both community engagement and technical expertise.

Residents regularly donate unwanted bikes, which are refurbished to a high standard before finding new homes. The most basic bikes can be purchased from around £30, helping make cycling more accessible whilst generating income that can be reinvested back into the project.

Their work extends well beyond bike repairs.

One popular initiative is Folks and Spokes, which Clarrie cheerfully describes as a chance for people to “drink tea, fix bikes and talk rubbish.”

Behind the humour lies something much deeper. It is a place where people can connect with others, build confidence, learn new skills and become part of their local community.

The organisation also runs a Youth Empowerment Programme, a structured City & Guilds recognised programme that helps young people develop practical bike maintenance skills whilst gaining experience that can support future employment opportunities.

 

Workshop at the Denis Healey Centre.

 

The quality of work produced is something Clarrie is rightly proud of.

“We are as good as, if not better than, anybody else that can offer it as a private business,” she told us.

Yet despite all the bikes, workshops, qualifications and repairs, Clarrie is clear about what matters most.

“It’s not about bikes. It never has been. It’s about people.”

That simple statement probably explains why Seacroft Cycles has grown so quickly.

It is also why Clarrie recently received a Leeds Sports Award as Inspirational Community Champion – an award she was delighted and genuinely surprised to receive.

 

Clarrie holding her Inspirational Community Champion Award.

 

The Next Big Question

Seacroft Cycles currently operates under the supportive umbrella of LS14 Trust.

Like many successful community projects, being part of a larger organisation has provided stability, guidance and opportunities to grow.

But growth has a habit of creating new questions.

With a strong reputation, established activities, dedicated volunteers, paid staff and the ability to generate earned income, the team are now exploring what the future might look like if they stood on their own two feet as an independent organisation.

This is a challenge faced by many community groups across Leeds.

There often comes a point when a project becomes large enough, ambitious enough and sustainable enough to ask:

What should we become next?….And that is where things can start to feel complicated.

CIO or CIC?

For many groups, the conversation quickly turns to two common options:

A Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) is a legal structure created specifically for charities and is regulated by the Charity Commission. It has its own legal identity, can own assets, employ staff and enter contracts, while providing limited liability for trustees. As a CIO the organisations purposes must be wholly charitable and its sources of funding are mainly grants, donations and fundraising. Importantly, a CIO is typically governed by volunteer trustees, who oversee the organisation and are usually unpaid. The CIO can employ staff and/or volunteers to deliver services and activities.

Pros

• Access to a wide range of charitable grants and funding opportunities.
• Strong public trust and credibility as a registered charity.
• Limited liability for trustees.
• Can own bikes, equipment, property and contracts in its own name.
• Well suited to delivering community, health, environmental and educational outcomes.
• Run and managed by volunteer trustees, demonstrating community-led governance.

Cons

• Must operate exclusively for charitable purposes.
• Trustees have legal responsibilities under charity law.
• Less flexibility to undertake commercial activities.
• Any surplus must be reinvested in charitable objectives.
• Recruiting and retaining skilled volunteer trustees can be challenging.

A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a company with a social aim, often referred to as a social enterprise or not-for-profit company, designed for organisations that want to trade commercially while delivering community benefit. CICs have a legal identity, limited liability and an asset lock ensuring profits and assets are used primarily for community purposes. They can generate income through trading activities and are often chosen by organisations that want greater commercial flexibility. A CIC can be managed and controlled by paid directors.

Pros

• Greater flexibility to trade and generate income.
• Well suited to bike repair workshops, bike sales, cycle hire and training services.
• Limited liability and separate legal identity.
• Directors can be paid for their time and expertise to run the CIC and deliver services.
• Easier to operate with a commercial mindset while maintaining social objectives.
• Can build long-term sustainability through earned income rather than grant dependency.

Cons

• Not eligible for all charity grants and funding programmes as some funders will only fund registered charities
• Does not benefit from charitable status.
• Subject to the usual company reporting requirements.
• Public perception may be more commercial than charitable.
• Risk that income generation can divert focus from community outcomes if not carefully managed.

 For a cycle community project focused on community cycling, reducing isolation, improving health, increasing access to bikes and supporting disadvantaged communities, a CIO may be preferable if grant funding and charitable outcomes are the primary focus. However, if the project intends to generate significant income through bike refurbishment, cycle repairs, maintenance contracts, training courses or cycle hire, a CIC may offer greater flexibility because it can be run by paid directors, whereas a CIO is typically governed by volunteer trustees. Many cycling organisations choose a CIC when they want a more entrepreneurial model and a CIO when they want maximum access to charitable funding and intend to be community-led.

There is rarely a single right answer.

The best structure depends on what a group is trying to achieve, how it plans to generate income, the type of funding it wants to access, the responsibilities its leaders are willing to take on and how quickly it needs to establish itself.

Questions around governance can feel daunting, particularly for founders who would much rather spend their time delivering activities and supporting local people.

Yet they are also a sign of success.

It’s so important that groups get a chance to discuss what their options are and understand implications of those choices.

For further reading about where to get advice etc, here are links below:

Set up a charity: Set up a charity – GOV.UK (including a CIO)

Setting up a social enterprise – GOV.UK (including a CIC)

 

Blog written by Claire Graham and Kaye Wilson, Voluntary Action Leeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Voluntary Action Leeds