Former Olympian turned MSP Brian Whittle is telling people to get on their bikes after a visit to a social enterprise in Kilmarnock.
Cycle Station is run by a team of dedicated volunteers. From their base in Kilmarnock, a team of volunteers collect unwanted bikes left at East Ayrshire recycling centres or donated by members of the public and refurbish them before selling them on at a fraction of the price of a new bike, the team also donate many of the bikes back into the community through appeals or community work.
They also run a bike hire scheme at Whitelee wind farm for people who want to tour the site on two wheels. There are even electric bikes available for anyone who might find the terrain hard going.
The group are also taking part in local events like the Valley Walkfest, where they’re running two guided electric bike rides and are working with other community groups in the area to encourage more people to take up cycling and give them the skills to maintain their own bikes.
During his visit, Brian chatted with some of the volunteer mechanics and other members of the Cycle Station team. The MSP heard that the social enterprise is soon to relocate its recycling workshop to a new, larger facility that will let them collect and refurbish more bikes and give even more volunteers and groups the opportunity to come and learn mechanic skills.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“It was great to meet the team at Cycle Station and hear about their plans as the enterprise continues to grow. I’m delighted to see the commitment Cycle Station have made to encouraging more people to be active and get on a bike.
Their work with local groups to teach people skills and develop their confidence through bike maintenance is another great initiative that will benefit a wide range of people. Cycling is a great way to keep fit and to get around. I’m delighted to see the work Cycle Station are doing to open up cycling to everyone and I’ll do what I can to support them in the future.
Zoe Nix, Community Engagement Manager at Cycle Station said:
“We were delighted to welcome Brian in to our workshop to show him the great work our volunteers are doing, there are many great stories created by recycling a bike from the obvious reduction in landfill waste to the teaching of cycle mechanics skills to our volunteers and the local community. The project allows the refurbished bikes to be distributed back into the heart of communities to a new owner. We have only been running for about 6 months and have already seen some fantastic results, including the news of an exciting move to a bigger and better premises very soon”.
