Cycling charity gives former prisoner bike mechanic skills through Cytech-backed course

Posted on 27 Nov 2025

Cycling charity and ACT member Life Cycle has helped a former prisoner gain key bike mechanic skills to help “break the cycle of reoffending” through a Cytech-accredited training course.

The Bristol-based charity said it supported Ben (whose name has been changed for anonymity) through its Bikes Beyond Bars initiative, which takes donations of unwanted bikes and teaches prisoners to fully refurbish them, allowing them to earn an industry-recognised Cytech qualification in an in-prison workshop.

“Life Cycle gave me the chance to pass on my skills to others and do something that benefits the community,” said Ben.

In its 2025 Impact Report, Life Cycle commented: “When we first met Ben he was serving the latest in a long line of sentences. Growing up in a troubled home, with limited support, he had little hope of breaking the cycle of reoffending. But at the workshop, everything changed. By connecting with a Life Cycle tutor, Ben gained far more than bike mechanic skills. He found a new sense of purpose, belief in himself, and for the first time, imagined the possibility of life outside prison.”

The skills Ben gained have enabled him to mentor other prisoners, repair bikes for prison staff, and even build a bike to ride home upon release. He is now out of prison and putting his skills into repairing bikes for neighbours.

Life Cycle’s 2025 Impact Report highlighted the wider effect of its work, showing 842 bikes saved from landfill and restored, 6,025 school children taught to cycle, 1,586 young people and visually impaired people accessing inclusive cycling projects, and 204 people qualified as accredited bike mechanics, including prisoners and ex-offenders.

The report also details other key ways Life Cycle has positively impacted communities. You can read the full report here.

You can also donate to Life Cycle's Christmas appeal, which is helping raise money to help even more people rehabilitate through learning bike mechanic skills within the prison system. Any donations for one week, beginning Tuesday 2nd December, will be matched by Life Cycles. You can find out more about that here.

Members of the ACT get exclusive access to Cytech accreditation. To learn more, visit the Cytech website.