If you have a complaint or concern about Sustrans, then we’d like to hear from you. We want to listen and learn from you and hope we can turn your experience around. 

We will investigate all complaints relating to the following: 

• An activity Sustrans are undertaking. 
• The behaviour of a Sustrans’ colleague or volunteer. 
• Sustrans’ failure on a commitment. 

To make a complaint, please get in contact with us in one of the following ways: 

Email: complaints@sustrans.org.uk 

Write a letter to: Feedback and Complaints, 2 Cathedral Square, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5DD. 

What to include in your complaint correspondence

• Which of the three categories your complaint sits in: 

• • An activity undertaken by Sustrans. 
  • Actions by a Sustrans colleague or volunteer. 
  • A failure on a commitment. 

• A summary of your complaint, including any key details, such as: 

• • Key dates. 
  • Location, if relevant e.g. a postcode, whatthreewords, or coordinates. 
  • If about a specific person, any names or memorable information about them. 
• Whether you have spoken to any other teams at Sustrans about your complaint. 
• What your preferred outcome for the complaint is. 
• How you would prefer to be contacted (email, letter, phone). 

Our process

We have a three-stage complaint process. We aim to acknowledge all complaints within two working days and aim to give you an initial response within five working days. If we’re unable to meet this deadline, we’ll let you know as soon as possible. 

At stage one of our complaints process, one of our friendly Supporter Care Team will be your main point-of-contact to resolve your complaint. At stage two, your complaint will be escalated to a relevant senior Manager or Director. At stage three, your complaint will be investigated by our CEO. 

If you believe your complaint is still unresolved after our final stage response

• Unrelated to Sustrans’ fundraising: Please notify us within 15 working days of our stage 3 response to you. However, if you are unable to provide any new information or evidence, we may be unable to investigate further.  
• About Sustrans’ fundraising: Please notify us within 15 working days of our stage 3 response to you. If you are unable to provide any new information or evidence, we may be unable to investigate further. However, if we have communicated that we are unable to investigate further, you can contact the Fundraising Regulator. 

What our process does not cover

• Day-to-day queries and feedback: Including, but not limited to, issues relating to National Cycle Network routes, land use and ownership, and use of personal data. We expect most concerns, feedback and day-to-day issues to be addressed quickly by the relevant team, see Contact Us for details.   
• Complaints in relation to the work of other organisations: Sustrans works in partnership with a range of local authorities, organisations, and landowners and where appropriate we will ask you to refer your complaint to the organisation best placed to deal with it. 

If your concerns don’t meet our complaint criteria, we will do our best to ensure the correct team gets in contact with you. Alternatively, if your complaint does not sit with Sustrans, we will try to signpost you to the correct organisation. If we do signpost you to another organisation, we may politely let you know that we will not continue correspondence with you about the complaint. 

We hold our friendly team to high standards and always expect them to: 

• Be kind and courteous. 
• Listen, respond fairly and without bias. 
• Take all complaints seriously. 
• Address complaints promptly. 
• Learn from complaints and take action to improve the way we work. 

Unacceptable complaints

Sustrans expects colleagues to handle feedback, queries, issues, and complaints politely at all times. 

Our values and vision for inclusivity leaves no room for hate speech, bullying or anything we deem to be unacceptable communication. If the person raising the matter uses hate speech, abusive or threatening language or an aggressive tone or behaviour, we will not engage with this. 

If this is the case, we will reply advising that this is unacceptable, and it is unlikely that the complaint will be investigated.