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Good as New...Old Bikes are Reconditioned
and Sold in Shop Bought State |
At the Cycle Recycle premises in Kirkintilloch old second-hand bikes are re-conditioned and polished to look and work good-as-new. A crew of cycle mechanics, funded by the government’s Future Jobs Fund, restore the bikes which are then sold on very cheaply to local people. Prices start at £10 for a child’s bike.
Development and Infrastructure Convener Billy Hendry said: “This is a brilliant scheme. Everyone benefits from it. Youngsters are being trained and given employment, those who can’t afford to purchase a bike from a shop can get one at a much more affordable price, and there’s less scrap being discarded.”
The youngsters, based at Kilsyth Road Workspaces, are taken on for a period of six months and given the proper rate for the job, rather than an allowance. They’re supervised by East Dunbartonshire Transport Management Organisation (TMO) and part-sponsored by Healthy Habits. The Lottery’s Awards for All scheme also contributed £10,000 while East Dunbartonshire Council supply the workers for the project as well as providing low-cost rent.
Gary Tanner, 19, of Kirkintilloch said, “I’ve been doing this job four months now and I love it. I enjoyed cycling before I started but hadn’t a clue how to strip a bike and put it together again. The work is hands-on which I love and it’s such a sense of satisfaction to see someone cycle off in a bike you’ve build from scratch.
“Although I’ve only got another two months left here, completing the scheme means I’ll get good references and prove myself as an employee who gets to work on time, can finish a job, gets on well with others and is reliable. Confidence-wise it’s also done a lot for me.”
If you have an old bike you’d like to donate to the scheme, or would like to purchase a reconditioned cycle, then please contact the Council’s Community Transport Officer, Margaret Harkins tel: 0141 578 8642.
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