RAF Wittering News

Old bicycles from RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire will be recycled by inmates at HMP Stocken in Rutland.

Royal Air Force personnel often keep a bicycle at work, they are a quick and environmentally friendly way of getting around on a Station. As people move on to new stations, or retire from the RAF, their bikes are sometimes left behind.

Over the years, Royal Air Force Wittering has accumulated a fair number of rusty mountain bikes, racers and hybrids. Yesterday morning, Stephen Turville and Ray Goodliffe, instructional officers at HMP Stocken, took away dozens of old and rusted frames.

The My Bike project is a joint initiative between HMP Stocken and Rutland County Council and gives restored bikes free of charge to individuals and families in Rutland, as well as to charities and hospices across the country.

The collection was arranged by Diane Coates, Executive Officer of Support Wing. She said: “I was listening to Rutland Radio, they explained the scheme and it seemed like a really good idea so I got in touch.”

The HMP Stocken inmates are studying for a recognised City & Guilds qualification in cycle mechanics. Once allocated to an inmate the bicycles are cleaned, completely stripped down and the components checked to make sure they are still safe to use.

Ray Goodliffe said: “The inmates seem to thoroughly enjoy it because they are giving something back to charity. Some of them have actually gone on to work at bike shops like Halford’s.”

Once restored, most of the frames collected from RAF Wittering will be given to Rutland County Council and distributed to disadvantaged individuals and families.

Wing Commander Dan Penter is the Principal Engineer at Royal Air Force Wittering. He said: “Diane has done really well to arrange this, it works on so many levels. We are putting old bicycles to good use, the inmates at HMP Stocken are working towards a recognised qualification and people in need are getting the benefits. This is a very good community project and we’re happy to help.”