For Sindikat Biciklista, the ECF’s Croatian participants in the Leadership Programme, the main goal was to try and create an active cycling network within Croatia. Despite facing difficulty, they have managed to succeed. Participation in the Leadership Programme has also increased their capacity in other ways: for example, targeting different funding streams to allow them to increase their staff size, thereby improving their ability to undertake cycling advocacy at a national level.

The main goal for SB was to create a national cycling network in Croatia. The problem with this was that many organisations were initially reluctant to participate in a national network, as they were worried that such a network would reduce their own independence. So the challenge was to create a structure that allowed participating organisations to maintain their independence, whilst fostering collaboration and cooperation on certain projects, to give the cycling a greater and more effective voice. Participating in the Leadership Programme was certainly beneficial here, as SB were able to ask other members about their experiences of establishing networks. Using these best practice examples, they were successfully able to establish the National Network of Cycle Initiatives, and are currently in negotiations with the first 8 members.

They are also targeting public sector, NGO’s and private enterprises, such as the Next Bike Zagreb, as including such stakeholders will ensure better outputs and increase visibility. Part of the work of the Leadership Programme is to help members learn how to target diverse organisations for partnerships and funding streams, and SB were able to use this to increase their available income, allowing them to increase the size of the staff working on cycling advocacy, giving cycling a greater voice in Croatia!   

Alongside the creation of the network, Sindikat Biciklista also hosted their flagship event, Pedalafest, which is the largest gathering of cycling stakeholders in Croatia. Giving cycling such a prominent voice can only lead to greater success in the future, and we wish them all the best!