AMES clients in the Whittlesea area will get bicycles under a ground breaking new initiative.

In partnership with the Salvation Army’s Plenty Valley Community Support Services and the City of Whittlesea, AMES has helped create a ‘Men’s Bike Shed’.

The shed will see volunteers repair donated bikes and make them available to refugees, asylum seekers and other disadvantaged people as a means of transport and recreation.

The initiative was launched this week in South Morang by Whittlesea City Councillor Nicola Davis and the local federal MP Andrew Giles. AMES hopes to introduce the concept to other parts of Melbourne which have significant refugee and asylum seeker communities.

AMES Material Aid Broker Leonie Walker said the Men’s Bike Shed would give asylum seekers on bridging visas a means of transport but also a source of recreation.

“Almost as importantly, being involved in this project will give clients a way of becoming connected within their community; they can gain skills and will be able to practice their English,” Leonie said.

“What we have here is a really strong partnership that has a positive outcome and we’re planning to set up similar partnerships with community groups in other locations,” she said.

For more information on this story or on how to donate a bicycle, contact Leonie Walker on: 0407 875 563.