A Year in Motion: Parramatta Bike Hub's Impact and Our 2026 Vision

The Parramatta Bike Hub has always been more than a physical space—it's a vibrant platform. It's a central base where diverse programs and services converge, all working toward a single goal: empowering our community to move, build confidence, and reconnect with the outdoors. As we finalise our annual report for 2025, we're proud to share a combined snapshot of how our two core services are performing and lay out our strategic plans for 2026.

The Hub: Our Community Connector

Parramatta Bike Hub has become the common meeting point for:

• Learn-to-ride programs and confidence-building pathways.

• Wellbeing-focused outdoor recreation initiatives.

• Structured school and group programs.

• Essential practical support: bike borrowing, gear assistance, and a welcoming community.

This collaborative model ensures our collective impact is far greater than the sum of its individual parts.

Business Snapshot: 2025 Performance & 2026 Projections

1. Parramatta Bike Tours (Adventure Tourism)

In 2025, our guided tours welcomed 51 adventure tourism participants, with an ambitious goal of 100 participants for 2026. This service offers an immersive way to experience place—through guided rides that let people see Greater Parramatta from a new perspective, develop practical riding skills, and enjoy the urban outdoors along shared paths and dedicated cycleways.

Strategic Focus for 2026

• Implementing more consistent booking processes and robust seasonal planning.

• Expanding our casual team to ensure delivery is sustainable and not reliant on a few key individuals.

• Maintaining a continued focus on delivering safe and supported urban cycling experiences.

2. Addventageous Bike Community (Behaviour Change)

This is the core of our work: fostering repeat participation and driving long-term behaviour change. In 2025, we proudly supported 540 outdoor recreation participants. Our projections for 2026 include:

• 810 outdoor recreation participants.

• 270 nature therapy participants.

This data represents far more than mere 'attendance.' It signifies hundreds of community members actively participating in learning new skills, rebuilding confidence, strengthening their well-being, and staying connected through regular outdoor activities.

Community Reach: Our Participant Mix

Our participant mix clearly reflects market demand and the specific needs we address:

• 66% Schools (Years 4–12)

• 34% Groups of Adults

This blend is integral to the Hub model’s success. Schools require structured, curriculum-aligned delivery, while adults often seek confidence-building pathways. Crucially, both groups thrive with the consistent, place-based support system the Hub provides.

People Power: Addressing the Capacity Gap

Workforce capacity remains a consistent priority across both our services. While our 2025 headcount was approximately 5 people (including volunteers), our 2026 plan targets 6 staff, incorporating a stronger mix of part-time and casual support. Despite this, we have an immediate skills gap; we could immediately employ two additional workers with Certificate IV in Outdo

or Leadership. For those familiar with community delivery, this tension is acute: real demand cannot be scaled safely without trained personnel and robust operational systems.

Advocacy & Challenges: Supporting Small Operators

For small operators, a primary barrier is often not a lack of passion or quality delivery—it is process. A critical challenge we advocate for is ensuring procurement and cash flow structures align

with how small organisations operate. Staged funding releases (such as a small upfront portion, payment on completion, and the remainder after final reporting) place undue pressure on delivery teams who are already engaged in vital, high-trust community work. We are proud members of Outdoors NSW & ACT, recognising that sector-wide advocacy is essential. When the sector works collectively, we can ensure small operators remain viable, safe, and consistent.

Our Key Insight from 2025

Our most powerful insight from 2025 is simple: Confidence is built in small, consistent moments—and those moments require a trusted place to land.

• The tour participant who discovers a new local cycleway.

• The student who masters braking and is suddenly motivated to ride to school.

• The nervous adult who arrives and leaves is committed to returning next week.

This is the essence of the Hub. It functions not as a single program, but as a holistic network of support that makes safe, accessible outdoor participation a reality.

Looking Ahead to 2026: Our Clear Focus

• Strengthen workforce capacity and capability.

• Stabilise booking flow and optimise delivery rhythm.

• Continuously improve safety protocols, training, and program quality.

• Keep the Hub open as a welcoming and accessible entry point for schools, adults, families, and partners.

If you're interested in collaborating, referring a group, supporting our workforce development goals, or simply getting involved, please send us a message. We are building this with our community, not just for it. 🚲💙