Confidence aim from disabled bike scheme

Ben Williams said he enjoyed working with the people who came along to try the bikes out

A man running bicycle sessions to help people with disabilities says they are giving those taking part a "massive confidence boost".

The adaptive bike scheme in Telford, Shropshire, uses a fleet of 20 adapted bikes of various types to support people with a range of disabilities and learning difficulties.

"It's amazing to see the change in people as they take part in these sessions," Ben Williams, from the Telford Bike Hub, said.

Parents have also praised the sessions including Simon Buckley-Robins, who goes with his daughter, who said: "It's a good way for parents to have a chat with each other, because we don't get a lot of that."

The sessions run every Friday at the Bike Hub in Telford Town Park, with extra ones on the first Saturday of each month at Oakengates' athletics track.

Most of the bikes have been paid for by Telford and Wrekin Council but several have been donated, including trikes, side-by-side tandems and hand cycles.

The aim of the project is to give those taking part more confidence in using the bikes and allow them to enjoy the outdoors, a council spokesperson said.

Mr Williams said they were fortunate to be able to use the athletics track because it was an enclosed area, giving extra security to those who needed it and letting them get more used to the bikes.

"It gives them that sense of worth and achievement, that they can go out and do these things," he said.

The Bike Hub has a collection of 20 different bikes and trikes

Mr Buckley-Robins, a Tesco delivery driver, said: "They make a massive difference because there is so little for the disabled community to do during the holidays, after school and at weekends."

He said a lot of courses were lost after Covid so "to have these things coming back is hugely brilliant for their well-being".

Simon Buckley-Robins said the sessions were also a good opportunity for parents to catch up

Mr Buckley-Robins said his 22-year-old daughter enjoyed meeting her friends and the staff.

He travels around the Oakengates track on a tandem bike with her and thought it was a "great family thing".

"Everyone has a laugh, everyone gets on," he said.