DISADVANTAGED children living in Basildon’s free neighbourhoods are going to be given free bikes to help “transform their lives”.

Basildon Council has signed up to a scheme called Essex Pedal Power.

The project is a bicycle giveaway programme where eligible residents will be loaned bikes for a six-month period.

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If residents use the bikes regularly, they will be able to keep the bike for free at the end of the loan.

All bike recipients will receive a bike, a helmet, a lock, a pump and lights, with the bikes being brand new from Raleigh.

There are even different styles of bikes to cater for the different needs of residents they’re given to.

Councillor Jeff Henry, responsible for health, wellbeing, leisure, arts and culture said: “This is a really fantastic initiative that will transform the lives of our residents that receive the bikes.

“The scheme will support groups such as our local hospital staff and disadvantaged young people, to enable them to be able to cycle to work, school, or college rather than take a long walk or by using other transport.

“It will save residents money, it will reduce our borough's environmental impact, and hopefully the bike recipients will see how beneficial active travel can be.”

The bikes will be given out from March 2023 directly to Basildon Hospital staff, to local businesses for employees in need, to targeted estates across the borough, as well as being distributed through community organisations.

Essex Pedal Power, which launched in Clacton and Jaywick in June 2021, aims to give away 5,000 bikes across the county by 2025.

The scheme was set up in Colchester earlier this year and is now coming to Basildon.

Lee Scott, Essex County councillor responsible for highways maintenance and sustainable transport, said: “It’s been fantastic to see the Essex Pedal Power community develop.

“This bike scheme is providing a free method of sustainable active travel, helping to improve people’s health and wellbeing, as well as reducing congestion and pollution for the communities we live in.”

Funding has been provided by the Sport England local delivery pilot and the London Marathon Charitable Trust.