20 refurbished bikes have been given new homes thanks to a collaborative project between SWISCO, a Torbay Council company, HMP Channing’s Wood, Weston College and the Torbay Leisure Centre.
Bikes that are usually taken to the Torbay Recycling Centre are then sent onto the HMP Channing’s Wood where they are refurbished as part of a cycle maintenance program.
The program enables prisoners to gain vital skills and training in bike maintenance providing them with more job opportunities once they have served their sentence.
The course at HMP Channing’s Wood is delivered in partnership with Weston College and is part of the Offender Learning Provision. The programme provides offenders with vocational and transferable skills by providing teaching and support to enable learners to achieve their full potential.
Once the bikes have been refurbished they are returned to the Torbay Leisure Centre where they are sold at £20 each with all of funds going back into the project to purchase spare parts allowing for more bikes to be repaired and reused again.
The Torbay Leisure Centre announces when the bikes will be available for sale via their social media pages, so make sure you’re following them if you’re looking for a new bike this summer season.
Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture said:
Cycling provides a more sustainable way to travel and is a good way to keep fit and healthy. This scheme is a great opportunity to help provide re-vamped affordable bikes to the residents of Torbay whilst supporting vocational skills to offenders.
“Thank you to all the partners for continuing to support the project and help to give unwanted bikes a new lease of life.”
