Help to make life better in Ashington

Posted by Richard Fletcher on Jan 29, 09 03:01 PM in Clubs/Societies

An action group is hoping Northumbrians' generosity will help people to change their lifestyles for the better.

Mark Curr and Adam Bell, active travel co-ordinators for South-East Northumberland Sustrans, are aiming to get people cycling whenever they can, including offering to hire bikes out for free to help workers commute by bike.

Sustrans' Mark Curr and Adam Bell

But although they have a good supply of new bikes for community events such as group bike rides and car-less days at businesses, their fleet of donated and second hand bikes is limited.

People who want to use one of the recycled bikes are able to borrow one for free, for a day or for longer periods. The Sustrans currently have about 12 bikes, some of which are already on loan, but their aim is to have between 50 and 100 available for use to the community.

They are therefore asking people to dig about in their garages and donate their unused bikes so that someone else can use them.

Mark said: "We hope to help people to adopt an active lifestyle. We've got a fleet of new bikes for events but we're also looking to extend our fleet of recycled bikes so that we can issue them to people who need them.

"There's a broader community demand."

They already have a group of volunteers willing to carry out maintenance, who have been keeping the bikes they already have in good repair. The project has been running for a year but Mark and Adam are looking to expand it. They want to get everyone involved, especially the unemployed as well as those who lead less active lifestyles.

There are a few sources that the Sustrans hope will provide some recycled bikes. They have a good working relationship with the police and are hoping to receive some of the stolen bikes the police have recovered.

But they are hoping that others will come from people who can donate the bikes they no longer need.

Mark said: "They're doing a good deed -- it will make a great difference and means 50 or so more people can get to work. We have the opportunity to change people's lives for the positive."

Anyone who has a bike that they wish to donate can contact Mark and Adam on 01670 524063 or e-mail them on adam.bell@sustrans.org.uk, and they will come out and collect the bikes.

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