Life Cycle launches Bikes Beyond Bars initiative at HMP Bullingdon
Life Cycle launches Bikes Beyond Bars initiative at HMP Bullingdon
Posted on 7 Jul 2025
Bristol-based Cytech training provider Life Cycle has launched its award-winning Bikes Beyond Bars programme at HMP Bullingdon, expanding a project that has already impacted lives at HMP Bristol and HMP Fosse Way.
The scheme trains prisoners to refurbish donated bicycles, which are then checked and sold on as affordable, sustainable transport options for the community.
Participants gain hands-on mechanical experience in a fully equipped professional workshop. They work towards a certification from Cytech, the international, industry-recognised accreditation scheme for bike mechanics – boosting their employability after release, while building self-belief, confidence, and a renewed sense of direction.
“I’m much more confident in myself. I can focus better. I feel great, I stuck to it and achieved my goal. I want to work in the bike industry. It would be a great achievement,” said Emmet, a participant at HMP Bristol.
The Bullingdon launch has been made possible through a grant from Great Western Railway’s (GWR) Customer and Community Improvement Fund, which supports grassroots projects across the network, with the programme part of GWR’s wider commitment to invest in community initiatives under its National Rail Contract with the Department for Transport.
“Our work isn’t just about teaching bike mechanics, it’s about opening doors,” said Life Cycle CEO Ed Norton. “Thanks to the support of Cytech and GWR, we’re helping people build practical skills, gain confidence, and take meaningful steps towards a better future. It’s a collaboration that’s genuinely changing lives.”
GWR Senior Community Impact Manager Emma Morris said: “The Customer and Community Improvement Fund is a fantastic opportunity for us to invest in our communities in projects that really make a difference at a local level. We’re delighted to support Life Cycle’s initiative, which will help people not only develop new skills that can benefit them in the future, but also serves to promote affordable, sustainable travel, which brings so much to the wider community.”
The Bullingdon course is a full-time, four-week programme. As a result of the programme, the learners, providing they pass the final assessment, attain the full Cytech technical one qualification, giving them a solid foundation in cycle mechanics. With a cohort of eight, each participant receives focused, personalised support.
Graduates can apply for one of two paid orderly roles, supporting new learners and helping to run the workshop – gaining soft skills like responsibility, teamwork and leadership along the way.
More information on Bikes Beyond Bars and Life Cycle’s wider work is available on the charity’s website.
Members of the ACT get exclusive access to Cytech accreditation. To learn more, visit the Cytech service page.