Between 10am and midday on Saturday 21 March, FORE and Soul Riders will hold their second ‘open house’ at Soul Riders’ hub in Glasgow’s South Side where the Scottish business and property communities will come together to donate unused bicycles for refurbishment and donation.

Those with a spare bike they wish to give away are being asked to stop by Soul Riders on the 21st, or alternatively get in touch with FORE in advance who will collect the bicycles and pass to Soul Riders.

As developer of Cadworks, the 94,000 sq ft speculative office development in Glasgow city centre, FORE’s over-arching strategy is to support the local communities wherever it is present, driving tangible and enduring social change. This focus on social impact is part of the company’s commitment to sustainable stewardship of the built environment. Cadworks is an exemplar project, set to be Scotland’s most ‘green’ office building, featuring innovative materials and the country’s first cycle-in access ramp.

Soul Riders supports vulnerable people including poverty-stricken refugees and asylum seekers. Donated bikes are refurbished and given a new lease of life by staff and volunteers and then distributed back into the community to some of the most isolated in Glasgow.

Providing free bikes can be truly life changing. Hours of walking turns to minutes and allows easier access healthcare, food distribution organisations, and other support networks. The very nature of cycling can also bring health and wellbeing benefits, helping people feel good and have fun.

Soul Riders also empowers people through other activities such as led rides and social nights at their Community Cycling Centre, a culturally sensitive hub where SoulRides tackles major issues such as social isolation. Their SoulLounge within the centre is a vital place where ‘Cycling Communities’ are created and people meet and build networks.

Basil Demeroutis, FORE’s managing partner, said: “This open house event marks our second year of collecting and delivering bikes to Soul Riders, which is a truly remarkable local organisation. Cycling forms a huge part of our business’ drive for a healthier, greener and more sustainable planet, so we feel that is only right that we use our resources to partner with social enterprises like Soul Riders.

“Our building in Glasgow, Cadworks, is progressing quickly and represents a significant investment by us in the City. With a build programme that is employing more than 200 people over two years, we are driving all our partners to reach out to the people in Glasgow who need us most.”

To donate a bike, please contact Lisa Mennie, lisa@skylarkpublicrelations.com, 07825 225 414, who will coordinate collection and transportation to Soul Riders, or drop in to 4 Forth St, Pollokshields, Glasgow G41 2SS between 10am and midday on Saturday 21 March.