03-07-2025
Retired York teacher's 'honour' on receipt of royal approval for cycling inspiration
A RETIRED York teacher has received royal recognition for regional co-ordination of a cycling programme for women which played a part in hundreds of thousands of female riders across the nation getting onto their bicycles.
Val French, 68, from Barmby Moor, collected her British Empire Medal awarded in the King's New Years Honours List from His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant Mr James Dick OBE at a Champney Treasure House ceremony in Beverley on June 19.
The former All Saints RC School PE teacher – and pupil in its days as Bar Convent School – volunteers as a ride leader in British Cycling's Breeze programme.
Val with members of various ride groups she leads from Barmby Moor (Image:
She has clocked up around 20,000 miles – including 500 in June – instigating and leading guided rides around the Wolds and further afield.
Val said the ladies-only rides improve confidence on the roads and no-one gets left behind.
From starting out in 'Rusty Riders' groups, each week a handful of co-ordinated rides from 'Barmby Breezers, Barmby Moor Pink Ladies', and 'Barmby Moor School Mums' set off from the village where she lives.
'The progress of Breeze is just the most wonderful thing, and the different landscapes are part and parcel of the confidence growing within the riders'
Val took her husband Chris, her friend Aly Sowersby, Brigitte Bourderiat – a 'Barmby Belle', Val's brother Graham Wilkinson and his wife Sally, to the Beverley event.
She said: 'It's such an honour to receive this medal.
"It was a lovely ceremony, with drinks and nibbles, and I was very proud to hear the citation read by Patricia Dalby, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant.
'She spoke about the Breeze programme and just how many women have got into – or back into cycling – as a result.'
British Cycling invited Val as a special guest to the Tour of Britain Women start line in Hartlepool for stage two of the race on June 6, along with other regional Breeze champions Anne Sugden and Julie Turner.
A Breeze ride earlier this year, led by Val French, coming out of the village of Millington
As well as continuing local rides, Val said she is incredibly impressed with the progress the ladies are making with longer-distance rides, as well as seeing new names on the rosters.
She said: 'We've had 10 new riders in the last couple of months, and there are plans for some of them to do the recognised Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route of 146 miles over a few days.
'Some of us rode for four days from Newcastle to Edinburgh on the 200-mile Sustrans Coast and Castle South route, and there are plans in my 70th year to take on the Northern route from the Scottish capital to Aberdeen.
'We're also taking the girls to the northern part of the Netherlands next year.
'We did a 100-mile event on Saturday (June 28) and several of that group started out as 'rusty riders' and a ride of this distance might not have entered their imagination at that when they started.
'The progress of Breeze is just the most wonderful thing and the different landscapes are part and parcel of the confidence growing within the riders.
'It's one of the best feelings to know that so many women are getting back onto their bikes.'
Val is organising a British Cycling women-only Sportive ride on August 2 in memory of Marianne Kerr, a fellow teacher and her best friend, who died from cancer in 2019.
The event sets off from Pocklington Rugby Club over 26, 63, or 74 mile distances and is raising funds for 'Women v Cancer'.
Over the last four years, the sportive has raised more than £10,000 has been raised for the charity.
For more information and to enter the Ride for Marianne Sportive, visit
