CHILDREN living in the largest military garrison in Europe will be given the chance to ride a bike for free following the launch of a new Yorkshire Bank Bike Library.

The new library has opened at the Go Ride club at the Army Welfare Service, on Richmond Road, Catterick Garrison, and will offer free bike loans for children and families, as well as skills sessions and guided rides.

Old and unwanted bikes can be donated to the bike library, where they will be repaired and restored by mechanics before being loaned out.

The project was officially opened yesterday (Friday, July 15) by Lucy Pittaway, the award-winning Tour de Yorkshire artist, and Catterick Garrison Commander Lieutenant Colonel Mark Steed.

Speaking at the launch, Lieutenant Colonel Steed said: “The garrison can often be a dull place for families, and it is organisations like this that bring it to life.

“This is a fantastic scheme to breathe life into old, unwanted bikes and also supports our green travel initiative to encourage more people to ride a bike.”

Mrs Pittaway, who donated her daughter’s old bike to the scheme, added: “It is a wonderful initiative for both young and older people and gives them the chance to ride a bike and get fit for free.

“It is also a great way to rejuvenate old, rusty bikes that have been sat in a shed or garage for a long time.”

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 the opening of this new Yorkshire Bank Bike Library in Catterick Garrison will help to bring us ever closer to that goal.

“I am thrilled to see how successful the Bike Libraries have become since the very first one opened last year, and I hope they will continue to inspire and excite young people across the county.”

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 fixed up and available to hire free of charge.

Since the launch of the first library last year, more than 17,000 chances to ride a bike have been offered to children and around 4,000 bikes have been donated.

Helen Page, propositions and marketing director at Yorkshire Bank, said: “Giving more children an opportunity to have access to a bike is something we feel passionately about.”

For more information visit bikelibraries.yorkshire.com.