Residents and community groups across the county are being encouraged to apply for funding to set up their own Yorkshire Bank Bike Library.
Since the launch of the scheme last year, more than 20,000 chances to ride a bike have been offered to children and around 4,000 bikes have been donated.
The scheme is sponsored by Yorkshire Bank and run in collaboration with Welcome to Yorkshire’s cycling initiative, Cycle Yorkshire. It aims to give every child in Yorkshire access to a bike, and sees unwanted bikes donated at one of the county's 46 donation stations, where they are then repaired and available to hire free of charge.
A fourth round of enterprise funding has been released by the bank to help not-for-profit organisations set up their own bike library and deliver a cycling legacy for all generations and abilities. The project also offers financial and marketing assistance, as well as PR support.
Fraser Kennedy, Head of Sponsorship and Partnerships at Yorkshire Bank, said: "We are hugely impressed with Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries progression so far. The quality and reach of the community organisations that applied to the scheme for support continues to be fantastic.
“Cycling in Yorkshire has a very strong volunteer ethos, with parents, teachers and community workers working hard to get children riding bikes. We’re delighted that this funding will help the volunteers and continue to grow the bike libraries throughout Yorkshire.”
Each bike library is different and all offer a range of activities, including short or long term loans, family rides, skills training or activity sessions.
Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “We launched the Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries with the aim of giving every child in Yorkshire access to a bike and this fourth round of funding brings us ever closer to achieving that goal.
“I am thrilled to see how successful the scheme has become and I look forward to seeing many more bike libraries opening in the future.”
Applications must be submitted to Rachel Davies This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than Monday, October 31.
For more information visit bikelibraries.yorkshire.com
