(Issued jointly with the Scottish Prison Service) A joint project to refurbish bicycles donated to local recycling centres and make them available in the community has already seen more than 80 unwanted bikes being made ready for reuse.
The initiative developed between the Perth and Kinross Community Justice and Safety Partnership, and the Scottish Prison Service, has involved serving prisoners at HM Prison Perth and people carrying out unpaid work orders, working together to collect, repair and refurbish bikes collected from Pitlochry Recycling Centre.
As more than half of the bikes were for children and young people, these will now be made available to local schools to help pupils develop their cycling and road safety abilities in conjunction with the Council's Bikeability project.
Bailie Chris Ahern, Chair of the Community Justice and Safety Partnership said: "This is a great example of how the Scottish Prison Service and the residents of Perth Prison and community payback participants with the Unpaid Work team can come together to repair and reuse unwanted bikes for communities.
"Our Bikeability team in Perth and Kinross is among the best in Scotland and we are now in a position where 100% of primary schools deliver the training to help children build essential, lifelong road safety and cycling skills. The team are perfectly placed to make sure the refurbished bikes go to people who most need them. I'd like to thank everyone involved, including the staff at Pitlochry Recycling Centre who have diligently gathered the bikes together to get this project rolling!"
Councillor John Rebbeck, the Council's Learning and Families Convener said: "Being able to support schools' efforts for pupils to develop their skills on two wheels at the same time as helping individuals develop practical, valuable and positive skills for life beyond prison is a great joint effort. We're trying to encourage children in our schools towards active travel wherever possible and I am delighted that this project is positively benefitting our communities."
Tom Martin, Head of Offender Outcomes at HMP Perth, said: "Our Bicycle Mechanics Academy provides individuals in our care with opportunities to develop new skills, build valuable mechanical knowledge and gain practical experience - helping to better prepare them for employment or further training on release from custody.
"A key aspect of the Academy is enabling individuals to make a positive contribution to their communities through a range of projects. We are therefore delighted to be involved in this initiative through the Community Justice and Safety Partnership and supporting local schools across Perth and Kinross."
