Some children in Portsmouth are set for a summer of cycling fun, thanks to a free bike giveaway and exciting new training opportunities!

Seven refurbished bikes have been donated to children in Buckland and Stamshaw, as well as young people working with Enable Ability, through the “Recirculate” project. The initiative brings together donations from Queen Alexandra Hospital staff and residents, with bikes restored by prisoners at HMP Ford.

This unique partnership not only gives unused bikes a new lease of life but also provides meaningful work experience for offenders, helping to boost their employability after release.

The Recirculate project was founded by Equans, InfraRed Capital Partners and Vercity, and the initiative was made possible through the support of Pario and Equans, who coordinated bike collections, managed logistics with the prison, and stored the bikes onsite.

Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: It’s a great pleasure to be able to provide local children with refurbished bikes for free – we know that many children in Portsmouth want to learn how to ride bikes but may not have the equipment or opportunity. By introducing cycling to younger year groups, we’re giving more children the chance to build skills and confidence that will last a lifetime.”

Additionally, Portsmouth City Council is expanding its Bikeability training programme from September, to help even more children gain confidence on two wheels. A new series of Learn to Ride sessions will be introduced for pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 who are just learning to ride or using stabilisers.

Training will take place in school playgrounds and focuses on building basic cycling skills and confidence, aiming to train over 600 pupils through these sessions by Spring next year. This initiative complements existing Level 2 training, which teaches road cycling skills on quiet streets. Currently, 1,800 pupils in Years 5 and 6 take part every year – up from 1,200 in 2022.

A successful pilot of the new Learn to Ride sessions was held at Ark Ayrton Primary Academy, where 31 Year 4 pupils learned to cycle in just four days with only two hours of training.

Bikeability training has also grown significantly outside of schools, thanks to partnerships with the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme and local community events. Based on previous events, the council estimates up to 700 children will take part in sessions through HAF and community events this summer, with around 30% learning to ride.