Corrections gets stolen bikes ready to ride

From left: Senior constable Raj Cotter, community work supervisor Bill Cato, and Napier Community Corrections senior community work supervisor Stuart McKenzie with Te Kura School students CalebVarcoe, Michaela Edwards and Rangaika Morrell. Photo / Duncan Brown

A unique new programme sparked by Hawke's Bay Police, Napier Community Corrections and Roadsafe Hawke's Bay has given the students of the Te Kura correspondence school in Hastings the opportunity to take to the region's bicycle trails.

Senior Constable Raj Cotter from the Police Youth Aid Section said the seeds of the idea were planted about a year ago.

Bicycles which had been stolen and damaged, or found and unclaimed, were being stored by police for auction or disposal, if they were too badly damaged.

Many however were repairable, although that meant time and someone skilled enough to fix them up.

"That's when Corrections came aboard," Mr Cotter said.

Revitalising the stored, tired bicycles was seen as a positive way to get people under the direction of Community Corrections to take part in a programme which allowed them to develop skills as well as benefit the community, as part of their rehabilitation.

Bill Cato from Corrections said various work parties were given the opportunity to help restore the bicycles.

Three Corrections staff were trained up by a bicycle mechanic and the restoration programme was under way.

"It's been great working in with police on this," Mr Cato said. "It's a good positive thing for everyone involved."

Required parts were able to be recycled from other bikes, and those too damaged were scrapped for their steel and the proceeds put into purchasing new parts.

Roadsafe Hawke's Bay also stepped in to provide helmets and bike locks, and are also preparing high-visibility vests for the young people who will get the ride the bikes.

"It's a fabulous idea," Roadsafe regional manager Linda Anderson said.

Te Kura liaison teacher Ray Edwards said the first fleet of six restored bicycles meant many students who otherwise had no access to a bike would be able to take part in their health and physical education programmes.

Te Kura is a "distance education" provider offering personalised learning programmes to students from early childhood to Year 13. Its students come from all walks of life and have diverse interests, needs and goals.

The five teachers and four support staff look after the education needs of about 150 primary and secondary children on the role. One of the Year 9 students, Caleb Vance, is a keen cyclist and has been encouraging other students to take part in biking challenges across the region's large number of trails.