Bike for Good has been awarded £40,000 to support young people from low income families

A cycling charity in Glasgow will be able to provide bikes to children from low income families thanks to an award from the SCVO Wellbeing Fund.

Bike for Good already supports adults through its Bikes for All social inclusion project, providing heavily-discounted memberships and free rides on Glasgow’s public nextbikes.

However, the coronavirus pandemic has seen demand increase for a similar initiative aimed at younger cyclists.

The charity has now put together a children’s programme which will be funded by £40,000 from the SCVO Wellbeing Fund, part of the Scottish Government’s £350 million package to tackle the impacts of the pandemic.

The money will be used to deliver the project across Glasgow, including repairs and renovations to donated bikes, as well as to cover the costs of administrating and promoting the initiative.

Kimberley White, Bike for Good’s communications lead, said: “We are looking to create a healthy and inclusive environment where everyone in the community gets to benefit from cycling.

“Bike sales have boomed during lockdown, but it didn’t feel right to us that there were kids from low income families missing out on the joy of riding a bike, simply because they couldn’t afford to buy one. Children are developing serious mental health conditions as a result of this pandemic, and riding a bike gets them out with their friends, releasing endorphins and having fun.

“Everyone should have access to a bike, and we are genuinely honoured to do our bit to help little ones during this testing time.”

Information on donating bikes can be found on the Bike for Good website. Anyone who knows of a family who could benefit from the scheme is asked to email the charity at wheelbeing@bikeforgood.org.uk