A trio of community-focussed businesses and organisations have united in the goal of getting more West Auckland youth onto bikes.
While visiting a West Auckland school during a bike training session Healthy Families Waitākere Systems Innovator, Debbie Raroa, noticed a lack of bikes available for older students.
“I noticed a number of older students wanting to learn to ride a bike, but there were just no suitably-sized bikes available for them.”
Keen to see more youth cycling through West Auckland, Debbie reached out to The Warehouse, who have now donated a number of adult-sized bikes to Sport Waitākere.
The Warehouse stores in Westgate, Westcity, Lincoln Road and New Lynn donated 11 bikes in total.
“Learning to ride a bike is a rite of passage here in Aotearoa,” says Pauline Henley, manager of The Warehouse in Westcity. “After hearing about the lack of bikes available for older children to learn to ride, we were more than happy to lend a hand.”
Sport Waitakere Young People’s Advisor, Pauline Butt, says it’s a major boost which will support youth to improve their cycling around West Auckland.
“Teaching young people how to cycle is critical to ensuring they’re safe on the roads now and in the future as experience riding bikes can flow onto car-driving skills.”
“These bikes will be available for schools to use and in our various cycling programmes. A big thank you to The Warehouse for its contribution to their community.”
