Hermione first learned about the power of a bike ride to bring people together and kick start important conversations back in 2010, when she persuaded 30 friends to join her on the first two days of her cycle from London to Morocco. 

That trip gave birth to Do Nation, a social enterprise who existed to drive transformational action for climate and nature. In 2015, when COP21 was held in Paris, the Do Nation team went back to their roots and organised a cycle from London to Paris, with 40 people joining for the ride. It was a hit.

In 2020, with COP26 scheduled to be hosted in Glasgow, several people from the Paris ride asked if Do Nation was organising another ride. Hermione reached out to Joe from Brake the Cycle (one of the first ever Do Nation “doers”), and Ride the Change was born. 

With the help of Arup, Possible, and Adventure Uncovered, plus many wonderful corporate sponsors, we had 175 riders cycling from London to Glasgow for COP26. The dancing at the end said it all: people loved it. 

Eager to keep this love going, Do Nation set about hosting Ride the Change annually – until their closure in 2024. The 2024 ride from London to Brussels served as an incredibly fitting send off for Do Nation. 

We’re now taking Ride the Change into the communities hands – keeping it going as a totally independent, volunteer-led event. Let’s see where we can take it!