How to get involved
There are lots of things you can do if you or your community is wanting to get involved.
It may seem that July 2027 is still a long way in the future, but it will be important to plan ahead!
The council will work with the race organisers, Grand Départ GB 2027 Ltd, Cumbria Combined Authority, Cumbria Tourism and the Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), as well as our own councillors and parish councils, community and cultural organisations, schools and colleges, business representatives and employers across Westmorland and Furness to support community participation and to maximize the social, economic, community and legacy benefits of the event for the area.
The council will do this by supporting the the official legacy and community impact programme of Grand Départ GB 2027 Ltd's JOY Social Impact Programme.
The programme is designed to ensure that the benefits of hosting the world's biggest cycling event extend far beyond the race itself, embedding community impact, with a focus on improving lives, opportunities, health and prosperity.
By visiting the JOY Social Impact Programme web page you can also subscribe to newsletters and updates about the event.
Arranging Tour-de-France related events
If you are a community group or organisation thinking about putting on a Tour de France-related event or festival in Westmorland and Furness, here’s some useful information to help with your arrangements:
- if you are the organiser, you will be responsible for the planning and operation of your event. Westmorland and Furness Council can help you plan and manage it safely and legally
- the period leading up to the Tour de France Grand Départ will place significant demands on council services and partner organisations, including emergency services, highways, transport and safety teams. As a result, we are requesting anyone organising Tour de France events notify the council of their proposals by 31 March 2027 at the latest to allow sufficient time for the council and other partner agencies to consider and support the event where appropriate.
- event organisers are strongly encouraged to engage with the council and submit details of their proposals as early as possible, and no later than the 31 March 2027.
- following this date, the council and its partners may not be able to consider events and cannot guarantee that non-statutory advice, support or engagement will be available. Support after this point will be prioritised towards preparations and delivery of the Tour de France race.
- please note this does not affect the standard timescales for statutory applications and processes such as for:
- for advice about planning an event in Westmorland and Furness contact event.notification@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Organising small Tour de France events
For guidance on organising events, for fewer than 500 people please take a look at the Purple Guide Lite.
The Purple Guide is designed for small community and local events. It provides practical guidance on legal requirements, good practice and creating safe events.
Community toolkit
Grand Depart organisers are producing a ‘Community Toolkit and Arts and Cultural Activity Pack’ to help with your planning.
The toolkit will provide practical guidance and resources to help communities engage with the Grand Départ 2027, enabling them to bring the spirit of the Tour de France to their area, develop local skills and create opportunities for communities to come together.
The toolkit will be available early 2027 through the Grand Départ organisers' JOY Social Impact Programme web pages.
Turning your community yellow
It may be that you want to ‘turn your community yellow’ as part of the celebrations!
This worked particularly well in Yorkshire in 2014, with bright yellow bikes, posters and painted buildings along the route to maximize the awareness for locals and visitors and provide a colourful welcome the cyclists.
Known as ‘City Dressing’, more information about how to approach this will be shared by the Grand Départ organisers in the community toolkit.