A BIKE shop that helps homeless people to rebuild their lives has been given a boost thanks to Lloyds TSB Commercial staff.

A group of 12 Lloyds TSB Commercial workers collected about 70 second-hand bikes for renovation and resale at Recycles, which is run by The Salvation Army.

The shop, in Spring Close, refurbishes second-hand bikes to sell on, as well as offering bike repairs and servicing by a team of professionally trained mechanics who were all previously homeless themselves.

Simon Styles, workshop supervisor for Recycles, said: “We founded Recycles as a social enterprise to help homeless people rebuild their lives whilst providing a service and resource to the community, and we are run by people who have all experienced homelessness at some point in their lives.

“Volunteers are an invaluable part of our organisation and we wouldn’t be able to meet the needs of local people without their time and dedication. We were delighted by the support from the team at Lloyds TSB Commercial, both today and through their ongoing support in collecting the bicycles for us.”

The charity also provides a meeting place and resource centre for cycling enthusiasts, offering information on local cycle routes, clubs and cycling events.

David Nicholls, senior manager business development for Lloyds TSB Commercial, said: “Recycles is a great organisation that not only offers a valuable service to local cycle lovers but also gives practical support through training and a working environment for those in need from across the city.

“We set up collection areas at Lloyds Banking Group sites a number of months ago, and have been impressed at the generosity of our staff and the public, who we’d like to thank for all of their support.”

In January the team collected bikes that had been donated by the public and bank staff from across the south west.

The team’s route included Gloucester, Andover, South-ampton, Chichester and Fleet, with one last stop-off in Guildford, before arriving at Recycles’ depot in Swindon.

The volunteers used a Lex Autolease van that had been donated by the bank for the day.

Recycles is open from 10am-4pm, Wednesday to Saturday.

For more information, call 01793 401834 or email hello@recycles-swindon.co.uk.