Melbourn children given bikes
BIKES refurbished by prisoners have been presented to youths as part of a pilot scheme to encourage cycling.
The Bike Bank project was trailed in Melbourn and was launched to help teenagers struggling with transport.
After six weeks cycle safety training and earning a qualification in cycle maintenance Matthew Stead, Dan Allison, George Colston, and John Chilton all got free bikes.
The scheme is being run by Cambs County Council South Cambs District Council, Melbourn Area Youth Development group and Cambridgeshire Police – who donated bikes that had been refurbished by young offenders at Little Hey Prison.
Cllr Pippa Corney, SCDC’s, cabinet member for localism, said: “This pilot has been a great success in trying to find a solution to the problems faced by young people in rural areas. Transport is always high on the list of issues raised by younger people, but this project has gone beyond just giving them a way to get around by providing a real hands on qualification in cycle maintenance that they can take forward.”
More funding is now being sought to extend The Bike Bank.
