A CELEBRATION was held at Brierley Hill Police Station on Friday (March 1) to thank those involved in a charity bike appeal run by police.

Dudley Police built up a collection of used and unclaimed bikes at the station, and, rather than get rid of them, it was decided to get the bikes fixed up to give away to people who could make good of them.

The partnerships team worked with West Midlands Fire Service, Dudley Council, local businesses, charities and voluntary bodies to identify those who would benefit most from the bike giveaway. An appeal was launched last July asking people across the borough to donate unwanted bikes to add to the collection.

Colleagues at fire stations hosted drop-off points for the bikes, which were then shipped to repair and maintenance experts within Dudley Council’s road safety team to refurbish.

Police collected bikes ranging from racers and mountain bikes to children’s tricycles, and in December more than 70 bikes were gifted to families, charities and community support groups across Dudley.

Among the recipients were a charity helping people recovering from cancer treatment to get fit again, a Coseley activity centre offering free community fitness classes, and children from families with social and health needs being supported by the council’s family hubs.

Certificates of thanks were presented to those involved in making the appeal a success at Friday’s celebration event.

Chief Inspector Balraj Sohal, from Dudley Police, said: “We were delighted to host this event to show our appreciation to our partners within the council, the fire service, and across the business and charity sector for their heroic efforts.

“I’d also like to say a heartfelt thanks to the people of Dudley who generously donated bikes to boost our appeal.

“This was a wonderful community-focussed project and I know the individuals and groups who received the bikes were immensely grateful.”