YOUNG BUILDING A BET TER LIFE

A NEW bike program in Geelong is boosting disadvantaged youth’s confidence by teaching them how to maintain their bikes.

MacKillop Family Services is trialling an eight-week program that allows children to build a bike to keep or gift to someone in need as part of a cycle of giving.

One young man has even made a bicycle for a homeless person to make their life easier.

The project is the brainchild of care worker Rick Bromley, who loved tinkering with bikes and cars when he was a teenager and felt the young people he worked with in residential care might enjoy it, too.

Co-ordinator Meisha Taumoefolau said the program taught young people the importance of giving back and developing empathy.

“The bike program’s success has far surpassed our wildest dreams,” Ms Taumoefolau said.

“One young man arrived at the shed more than an hour before the class was due to begin so that he could begin working on his bicycle as soon as possible.

“These young people are used to being on the receiving end of donations, so to empower them to make and gift a bicycle to someone else who doesn’t have one has a profound effect on them.”

The bike program has received 30 bicycles, 12 from Victoria Police in Barwon, and the others from the community and MacKillop staff. Young people can choose the colour and style they make.

One participant is a nineyear-old boy, who always wanted a bike of his own.

Now he has his own bike that he rides every evening. His foster mother said the activity had made him calmer.

The boy is planning to make a bike for his older sister.

“My big sister has my Dad’s old bike, which is far too big for her. When she gets her own bike, we can ride our bikes together,” he said.

The program is also a place for children to reveal emotions.

“Often, some of the kids will linger after we’ve finished and that’s when they will confide in me or ask for advice,” Mr Bromley said.

“Working together and concentrating on the task in hand makes the club a safe environment and we’ve become very close as a group.”

Picture: JOSH WILLIAMSON READY TO ROLL: MacKillop Family Services’ pilot bike program participant Bradley Donnelly and program facilitator Rick Bromley.