Cycling group gears up to help more youngsters
A COMMUNITY group set up to encourage young people to swap their illegal motocross bikes for push bikes has expanded into new premises: a purpose-built refit of a historic railway station in the south side of Glasgow.
The city’s oldest operational station, Pollokshaws West, has been converted into a cycling hub to provide bikes for disadvantaged communities in the south west; with space for up to 50 bikes, a mechanic’s workshop, showering and conference facilities and a cafe.
South West Community Cycles initially saw the redundant B-listed building, not only as a perfect space for storing the fleet of bikes but also ideally placed, backing on to Pollok Park, to encouraging young people to cycle.
Leaders did not think they would actually have an opportunity to use the building. However, they were granted a 25-year lease on the premises through the ScotRail Adopt A Station Scheme. A refurbishment was undertaken by Glasgow Building Preservation at a cost of £760,000, turning the building back to an approximation of how it would have looked in the late 19th century.
Project director Alyson Tannahill is proud of the community group’s achievements. She says: “If you do not have any barriers you can punch above your weight. Anyone else would have thought, ‘How could a little group from Priesthill have the ambition to adopt Pollokshaws West railway station?’”
The charity, which began operating out of treasurer Margaret Miller’s front room in Priesthill in 2005, originally used donated reconditioned bikes but now has a range of quality bikes, including Ridgebacks, Pashleys and Dawes to hire to members at a range of prices, based on ability to pay.
Ms Tannahill believes that although the initial outlay for bikes may be expensive, this offers better value for money to the charity in the long run because the bikes will last longer. She says: “We are here to give disadvantaged young people access to biking. When some of the poorer communities get bikes they do not have the capacity to maintain them or to keep them safe. What invariably happens is that if somebody gets a not very expensive bike it starts to break and then is off the road.
“For our young people we do not want any barriers to them being on a bike. The quality of our bikes is exquisite, which gives the young people a good experience of cycling.”
The charity also aims to overcome the financial cost of updating bikes for growing children. Ms Tannahill says: “What we wanted was for our young people to have a bike for life, we will grow with them. If you are aged five and your bike breaks you can come in and trade it up for another. We can fix it at a price sensitive to all situations.”
“Our price point for hiring a bike for an afternoon is equivalent to the price of a McDonald’s.”
Another target is to give all local families the choice to take up cycling, regardless of their income. In partnership with Glasgow Housing Association and Sanctuary Housing Association, the charity can assess the families in greatest need and offer them the opportunity to hire bikes for nothing. “Some of our families who are financially challenged, if they register with us, they can have a bike free and can go and ride it in the park for an afternoon. For people who do not have a lot of money and are finding things a bit tough, we want to help them get back to the
‘‘ The quality of our bikes is exquisite, and they can be hired for a price equivalent to the cost of a McDonald’s
roots of what is important in life,” says Ms Tannahill.
As well as hiring out bikes, South West Community Cycles also plans to train young people in bike maintenance and give volunteering opportunities.
One beneficiary of the project is Nathan Miller, who was often in trouble with police and at school before becoming a member of the charity. The 15-year-old, a part-time pupil at Cartvale School – which is for young people with social, emotional and behavioural needs – finds fixing bikes relaxing and as enjoyable as riding them. He has seven bits of bike in the back garden he shares with his grandmother and two brothers in Priesthill, which he aims to build into a distinctive BMX bike. “Ever since I started going to the bike group I have always fixed bikes,” he says.
“At 13 I started getting properly trained and now I know what to do. If I am bored I just take my bike apart and fix it again. I feel calm sitting fixing a bike and it gives me something to do.”
The charity hopes to put Nathan through the Weldtech Gold cycling mechanic qualification, and he would like to work as a bike mechanic when he leaves school.
“I was bad before, I used to cause fights and things like that because I couldn’t cope with things. But it is better for me to be like this.”
His grandmother Margaret Miller adds: “Now we are getting lots of wee boys coming to our door asking ‘Nathan, can you fix my bike?’ and the police are not coming to our door as regularly as they used to.”