‘RE-CYCLING’ ROLLS INTO TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

MERSEYSIDE Transport Partnership (MTP) has awarded £25,000 funding to a new pilot project, which will offer a 6 month training course in bike maintenance and repairs. Discarded bikes will be repaired as part of the initiative and the ‘recycled’ bikes will end up back in the local community. They will be sold at affordable prices through local charity shops and other community outlets.

The course will be delivered by Merseyside charity and social enterprise, CREATE, which specialises in training for disadvantaged adults from a variety of backgrounds, from adults with mild physical, sensory, or learning disabilities to ex-offenders, ex-substance misusers and other long term unemployed adults. Course participants, will receive accredited qualifications in bicycle repair and maintenance, which will help improve their access to employment opportunities.

The project forms part of MTP’s accessibility programme ‘Let’s Get Moving’, which aims to promote social inclusion by overcoming transport barriers that impact on peoples’ ability to access jobs, training, education, health and employment services.

Councillor Jean Quinn, Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Transport Services, Wirral Council, welcomed the new initiative. She said:- “This scheme has benefits for a cross section of the community on a number of different levels. As well as offering new skills and training opportunities to the long-term unemployed, the recycled bicycles will provide a great introduction to cycling to families and commuters as an affordable, enjoyable form of exercise and outdoor activity.”

Carol Johnson-Eyre, TravelWise Co-Ordinator, added:- “One of the key aims of the Merseyside Transport Partnership is to provide a well connected, safe transport network that is accessible to all.  Supporting this pilot project enables us to provide some practical support that will improve participants’ ability to access jobs, training, education, health and employment, as well as increasing cycling in the area. Increasing access to good quality bikes will also help improve health and wellbeing through higher levels of physical activity.”

For further information on CREATE and the six-month training course in bike maintenance and repairs or to find out how to purchase a recycled bike, contact Andy Reade on 0151 448 1748.  In addition, TravelWise is offering free cycle skills training and basic bike maintenance sessions to everyone in Merseyside until the end of March 2010. To find out more and to book a place, call Amy at Cycling Solutions on 0151 707 3936 or visit:- cyclingsolutions.co.uk - quoting "TravelWise Offer" when registering. 

For further information on the Let’s Get Moving scheme, visit:- letsgetmovingmerseyside.org.

 NEW ONLINE INTERACTIVE COMMUNITY FOR MOTORCYCLING

A groundbreaking new online interactive community for motorcycle and scooter riders has been launched by Get On, the nationwide campaign designed to encourage more people to experience the benefits of life on 2 wheels.  The Get On website, which already allows anyone over the age of 16 to have a FREE one hour session on a motorbike or scooter has added a community forum which allows visitors to the site to share their experiences of life on two wheels via a series of interactive features.  Site Users can create their own profile which enables them to share experiences, upload videos and blogs and post their favourite pictures. The site also provides the ultimate one stop information hub including details of how to get in to biking, what tests you need to take, what equipment you should use, what bike suits you best and what insurance you need. For the more experienced rider there is also information on how to get advanced training.

Motorcycles and scooters offer a wide range of benefits over four wheels and public transport, including being generally both quicker and cheaper. The money saving aspect of being on two wheels is brought to life with the site’s ingenious new Travel Calculator which shows exactly how big a saving can be made over a journey simply by choosing to do it on a motorbike or scooter.

The site is already proving a popular hit with users and has even attracted a celebrity following with England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, Red Dwarf star Danny John-Jules and Classical Brit award winners Blake all posting blogs about their two wheel adventures. 

The website will continue to emphasise the often overlooked benefits of biking including freedom, fun, flexibility and sociability as well as the time saving, accessibility, cost and environmental advantages. With the motorcycle and scooter market forecasted to grow by more than 60% in the next 5 years, according to research group Mintel, there has never been a better time to join the Get On community.

Following the initial launch of geton.co.uk, the project has been led by Inferno which has created the brand identity. The website has benefited from social media agency FreshNetworks developing and managing the digital community programme while completing the roster of digital agencies is Agenda 21 who are responsible for digital advertising and website maximisation.

Miles Taylor, Campaign Director Get On, commented:- “The objective of the Get On campaign is to promote biking to as wide an audience as possible and break down the perceived barriers to entry. The latest developments within the site create an interactive forum where newcomers to biking can share their experiences and shows clearly how simple and easy it is to get into biking - but most importantly shows just how much fun it is.”