A CLYDEBANK teacher says he has been “blown away” by the generosity of Bankies who donated 60 bikes for school pupils to use.

Kevin Muirhead, who teaches S1 at Kilpatrick School in Dalmuir, posted an appeal on Facebook asking locals to donate old bikes as part of a new project.

The teacher plans to give pupils lessons on how to ride bikes safely, how to plan journeys, and make the most of their time on the bike.

And Kevin said he was “overwhelmed” by the response to his appeal.

He told the Post: “We were looking at new ways of engaging the young people who attend the school, and cycling was one that we always talked about.

“So I took it upon myself to try and establish a cycling programme within the school, not just in terms of kids learning to ride bikes but also looking at the health and wellbeing opportunities and the environmental sustainability lessons that would be learned from it.

“I decided to reach out to the community of Clydebank and see if they could offer any bikes, and I was absolutely blown away by the response.

“I think I have about 60 bikes in the classroom at the moment, with more to come.

“It was a full-time admin job replying to the number of responses I got.

"So many people offered to help.

“It was overwhelming and I expected to get maybe five or six bikes, but it’s been incredible.

“I think it shows Kilpatrick School has a special place in the heart of Bankies and they know that the bikes will put a smile on the faces of our young people.”

Kevin hopes the areas surrounding the school will provide the perfect opportunity for youngsters to explore.

He added: “The pupils and staff at the school have spent so much time stuck indoors over the past year.

“We’ve got fantastic grounds around the school and the woods at Dalmuir Golf Course will be great for the bikes.

“Anne Glass from Drumchapel Cycle Hub has volunteered to come in as a cycle mechanic and volunteer her time and skills to make the bikes safe and usable for the kids so we’d like to say a big thank you to her for doing that for us.”