Trackside Bikes: Empowering North Lanarkshire communities with support from the Cycle Access Fund

By Martin Hofschroer
A mechanic at Trackside Bikes smiling while working on a bicycle in a well-equipped workshop. The background features tools, spare bike parts, and wheels neatly organised on the walls and shelves.
Discover how Getting Better Together and Trackside Bikes in Shotts, supported by Cycling UK’s Cycle Access Fund, are helping the local community overcome barriers to cycling

Getting Better Together Ltd (GBT) is a community-based health initiative that promotes the education, health and wellbeing of North Lanarkshire residents.

Based in Shotts, a rural area with a strong industrial heritage impacted by the decline of mining and heavy industries, GBT supports the local community by designing and delivering programmes that enhance health, wellbeing and life skills. Through its three hubs, GBT helps 1,000 people each week make healthier and greener lifestyle choices.

Trackside Bikes

Trackside Bikes, based at Shotts Healthy Living Centre, is the community cycling programme run by GBT. It provides cycling training, affordable repairs, a bike loan scheme, and the sale of bikes and equipment.

Over the past six years, with funding from Cycling UK, the project has flourished, creating volunteering, training and employment opportunities for local residents.

Making an impact with the Cycle Access Fund

With support from the Cycle Access Fund, the team refurbishes donated bikes to provide them to individuals in need. By collaborating with community partners, they identify and support hard-to-reach groups.

They recently worked with Routes to Work, an employability organisation, to provide a bike to a jobseeker struggling with transport. Within 24 hours, Trackside Bikes refurbished a suitable bike, enabling him to start a new job and support his family.

A colourful mural featuring a whimsical green character with cycling-themed elements, displayed above a row of bicycles mounted on a wall rack in the Trackside Bikes workshop.
Bikes for repair and recycle mounted on a wall rack in the Trackside Bikes workshop

The fund also allows Trackside Bikes to offer free or low-cost essential bike repairs, helping to keep their community’s bikes on the road. This includes supporting a local bike bus, which enables more adults to actively commute with their children to school.

Despite keeping repair costs low, many community members are struggling to afford even minimal fees, making the funding critical to providing accessible support.

Maximising the benefits of previous funding

Last year, Trackside Bikes received funding from Cycling UK’s Cycle Share Fund, a precursor to the Cycle Access Fund, to purchase a fleet of shared-use bikes.

These are now used five days a week with local schools, engaging young people at risk of disengaging from education. The programme offers cycling and maintenance activities, helping students gain academic qualifications they might otherwise miss out on.

The Cycle Access Fund and related funding streams have enabled Trackside Bikes to transform the lives of individuals and the wider Shotts community by improving access to cycling, supporting active travel and fostering opportunities for education and employment.

Cycle Access Fund Cycle Share Fund Cycling UK in Scotland

Further reading