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Every year, thousands of people flock to T in the Park but perhaps little thought is given by most of the attendees to the logistical side.
The support staff needing to travel around the site at Balado throughout the event, the setting up of the site and the clearing up of the site afterwards.
Every year, Perth Bike Station hires out recycled mountain bikes for the support staff to use, to help them travel around the site quickly and more easily than on-foot.
Perth Bike Station diverts old, unwanted and broken bicycles from landfill, either repairing and refurbishing them for reuse or stripping them down to salvage parts for the making or repairing of other bikes. As part of the day-to-day running of the Project, Perth Bike Station employs a handful of volunteers to assist the mechanics, providing valuable training opportunities which often help people move into full-time employment.
Perth Bike Station is open 6 days a week (Monday to Saturday) and also hosts Fix Your Own Bike Sessions on Wednesday evenings (4pm to 8pm) and Saturday afternoons (1pm to 5pm), hiring out workspaces and all the tools required to repair and maintain a bike, under the helpful guidance of the Perth Bike Station mechanics.
Over the last couple of years, Perth Bike Station has also teamed up with a group in Aberfeldy to offer a bike project for young people in Highland Perthshire.
Mark Sinclair of Perth Bike Station explains: “Perth Bike Station stocks both children’s and adults’ bikes for reuse. If you are considering taking up cycling – whether for commuting, to keep fit or for pleasure – we are likely to have the bike for you. Our mechanics not only aim to provide a good quality and affordable bike, but also aim to help each customer to choose the bike that fits them and their lifestyle best. Having recycled 13,000 bikes, Perth Bike Station is a good starting point for someone just taking up cycling, or for people with small children, who will out-grow their bike quickly. Bikes can then be donated back to Perth Bike Station for reuse when a new size or style is needed.”
Councillor Alan Grant, Convener of the Environment Committee for Perth & Kinross Council, said: “This is a wonderful project and it is great to see it in action. We are very conscious of the volume of waste being sent to landfill, and this is something that we actively looking to reduce. It is a great shame when you see things like bikes, which may be a little damaged or broken, being discarded when there are parts that can be re-used and recycled. Projects like these help make a difference to reducing waste, and I hope to see many other projects take inspiration and think about what they can do.”