A fleet of second-hand bikes is getting a new life thanks to a $3500 Great Regional City Challenge grant and the dedicated work of volunteers and community groups.
The Tamar Bicycle Users Group (TBUG), Reclink Australia, Youth Futures and the Big Picture School have come together to buy a fleet of 13 secondhand bicycles.
The bikes are easy-riding step throughs and are being lent to groups working with people with a disability, new migrants and other social challenges.
The grant wasn’t as much as initially applied for so the aim of an open “bike library” had to be scaled back to selected groups.
The Big Picture School’s bike program students are responsible for checking the bikes after they’ve been taken out for a ride.
Youth Futures has also lent a helping hand by providing a free space to store the bikes, close to the Big Picture School and Reclink. It’s also near the Inveresk trails which provide a safe place for the groups to go for a ride.
Other groups invited to participate in the library include the Migrant Resource Centre and Launceston Women's Friendship Group.
The groups will still need volunteers to help them on the rides, which is where TBUG comes in. Its volunteers will be helping to get people set up on the bikes and riding with them when needed.