The National Byway Trust (Reg. No. 1110196) was established in 2005 to take over from the original Company Limited by Guarantee, in order to complete the development of the Byway project, to oversee its maintenance in the long-term, and to create marketing and educational programmes to raise awareness of its qualities and to stimulate usage.

The Trust's objectives are to encourage:

• Participation in healthy recreation
• Advancement of education
• Conservation of the environment
• Awareness of our heritage
• Rural protection and regeneration
• Improved fitness and wellbeing
• Freedom for use by all.

The Charity Act includes a number of Charitable Purposes which are for Public Benefit and which are relevant to the Byway concept including: advancement of health, heritage, culture and environmental protection.

In order to achieve its objectives, the Byway organisation continues in its mission to work towards the goal of contributing to the quality of British life for by integrating the health, social, economic and environmental benefits to be derived by all from the activity of cycling.

The Trust has an honorary president and committee which provides enthusiastic support for the project. Lord Foster of Thames Bank O.M. is the president and members include Olympic cycling gold medallist Chris Boardman, mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington, explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, philanthropist Lisbet Rausing and Ambassador Kinsman, formerly Canada's High Commissioner in the U.K.

The National Byway also has support in the United States. In 2006 a group of Californian business executives travelled to ride part of the Byway, led by our own Phil Liggett who is a highly-respected TV cycling commentator in the U.S.A. After an enjoyable tour, sampling ride sponsor's Black Sheep beer, and meetings with Byway officials the Americans decided to set up their own "Friends of the Byway" in the United States, now in place.

The Byway's development meanwhile, has not gone forward in isolation. We played a major role in development of the National Cycle Strategy for England and have links with cycling-related organisations in Wales and Scotland. We have provided input into the government's 2009 National Cycle Plan. We also work with Sustrans, which is developing the National Cycle Network. The two projects are complementary, routes tend to be shared for about 10% of the Byway's total length, often visiting rural areas the Network does not, and providing a reason as well as an opportunity to cycle in the countryside.

Safety is an important aspect of the Byway's development, all of which has been carefully researched, ridden and checked to strict route criteria including safety and traffic levels. Average car-count on the Byway route is 2 cars per mile while travelling at an average of 10mph. With the entire route now designed and sign-audited, the work remaining consists of erection of final signage and publishing of the remaining regional route maps.

The National Byway is funded by a series of private/public partnerships and commercial sponsorships as well as through charitable donations. Companies, local authorities, National Lottery and grant-making Trusts have all contributed towards its establishment.