Grant means SSJ can continue to help key workers

The Society of St James has received funding to provide bikes for key-workers, as well as training for vulnerable adults in bike maintenance.

The grant from My Journey Community Grants and Southampton Council means the team at Re-Cycle Bikes can continue refurbishing and delivering bikes to key-workers during the COVID-19 crisis.

Throughout lockdown, service users at Jordan House have been collecting bikes before delivering refurbished ones to key-workers across Southampton to help them get to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-turn the service users have been gaining key skills in bike maintenance, helping improve their wellness and feeling of self-worth.

Saints4Sport and Re-Fit team leader Ashley Cristopher says: “We have been able to deliver bikes to key-workers across the south, helping them get to and from work during the coronavirus crisis, as well as helping them keep fit and improve their mental health.

“Being able to provide bikes to key-workers is something we are all proud of – and we have received great feedback from those who have received bikes.

“We are glad that we can continue to provide this service and that the skills of the service users who refurbish the bikes are being put to good use for the benefit of the local community.”

The news comes shortly after the Recycle Bikes project received a grant for a new van thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which will deliver the bikes to key workers. The previous van was prone to breaking down and caused problems for the team.

Re-Cycle Bikes

Based at Jordan House, Re-Cycle Bikes offers learning and training opportunities for our service users and volunteers from the wider community, to help grow and sustain the use of bicycles as transport.

Trained volunteers offer courses, recognized by City & Guilds, to recycle broken bikes into usable, safe, environmentally conscious transport.

Re-Cycle Bikes works in close partnership with our Re-Fit programme, as well as Hampshire Constabulary, My Journey, and many other local schools, religious organisations, and businesses.

For more information about Recycle-Bikes click here