Active Surrey, in collaboration with Surrey County Council (SCC), SUEZ and partners, is celebrating a major milestone as the Surrey Bike Bank reaches its 1,000th refurbished bike gifted to residents across the county.

The Surrey Bike Bank is a free refurbished bike scheme designed to make cycling more accessible for people who do not own or use a bike. By redistributing bikes to those who need them most, the programme is helping residents unlock active travel opportunities, improve their health, and connect more easily with education, employment and community services.

Marisa Heath, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, Surrey County Council, said: “We have supported this project by refurbishing the bike workshop where pre-loved bikes can be repaired and given a new lease of life.

1,000 residents will benefit from this brilliant scheme which will also prevent all these bikes going to landfill. This is a fantastic achievement and testament to working collaboratively with our partners.”

Transforming lives across Surrey communities

Since launching, the scheme has delivered bikes across all districts and boroughs in Surrey, with the highest numbers distributed in Waverley, Spelthorne, Woking, Guildford, Surrey Heath and Reigate & Banstead, which have all received over 100 bikes each.

The programme supports a wide range of residents, including:

• Refugees and asylum seekers
• Looked after children
• Domestic abuse survivors
• Low-income households and lower socio-economic groups
• People living with long-term health conditions

Around 60% of bikes have been given to adults and 40% to children and young people, to help entire families become more active together.

Lawrie Baker, Head of Active Communities at Active Surrey, said:
“Reaching 1,000 bikes is a fantastic milestone and a testament to what can be achieved when communities, partners and organisations come together. Surrey Bike Bank is about much more than bikes. It’s about creating opportunity for active travel, improving health, and making sure everyone has the chance to cycle regardless of their circumstances.”

A circular economy approach with real impact

The Surrey Bike Bank is built on a strong sustainability ethos, working with partners to rescue bikes that would otherwise go to waste and give them a new purpose in local communities.

A key partnership for the Surrey Bike Bank is with HMP Ford in West Sussex and SUEZ – which runs Surrey’s community recycling centres (CRCs). It is here that residents can drop repairable bikes which are then taken to HMP Ford by SUEZ.

Approximately 20 bikes per week are refurbished by inmates under professional supervision, which are then distributed to Surrey residents through Active Surrey.

This initiative not only saves bikes from going to waste but also supports skills development and rehabilitation opportunities for prisoners.

Gareth Swain, Regional Manager at SUEZ said:

“Our partnership with HMP Ford has been integral to the support we have been able to give on this project. Re-use is the best thing we can do with our waste not only to preserve natural resources but also to benefit local communities and projects like this.”

Community contributions have also been central to success. Bike donation drives have taken place in schools and community groups, alongside “Dr Bike” repair events where residents can donate their unwanted bikes to the scheme.

In schools delivering Bikeability training in disadvantaged areas, children who complete Level 2 cycling training can receive a free bike, helmet, light and lock. The long-term effects of this have dramatically helped remove cost barriers and embed cycling habits for life.

Supporting healthier lifestyles and a greener future

By providing free bikes, the programme helps residents:

• Save money on travel
• Increase physical activity and improve mental wellbeing
• Reduce carbon emissions through more sustainable transport
• Build stronger community connections

The initiative aligns with key sustainability principles by supporting improvements in transport, waste reduction, access and equality, and community engagement.

Natalie Bramhall, Cabinet Member for Property, Waste and Infrastructure, Surrey County Council, said:
“This initiative shows how innovative partnerships and circular economy thinking can deliver real benefits for residents. By repurposing bikes and getting them to those who need them most, we are supporting healthier lives while reducing waste and protecting the environment.”

Get involved

Residents, organisations and businesses are encouraged to support the scheme by donating unwanted bikes or attending local collection drives and events.

To find out more, www.activesurrey.com/Your-community/Surrey-Bike-Bank.

Staff at a prison in Banstead were called to more than a dozen serious medical incidents in a single day, relating to drugs.

A report from the Independent Monitoring Board found that prison staff at HMP High Down faced 13 “code blue” incidents, where prisoners had collapsed or suffered serious breathing difficulties, in one day last year.

A separate report released last week, focusing on HMP High Down found 49% of prisoners surveyed thought it was “easy” to get hold of drugs at the prison, down slightly from 56% in 2024.

Prisons minister Lord James Timpson said “positive improvements” have been made but “more needs to be done” to improve.

The plan to have a two-week autumn half term break for more than 70 schools in Surrey will not happen next year, after headteachers raised concerns.

Children being more tired and less likely to learn, problems with attendance in the last week before the summer holidays and staff and pupil wellbeing were among the concerns that were raised.

It was also felt that a two-week half term in the autumn would disrupt children in reception, as they would have just settled into a new school.

The half term in October 2026 is being extended by a week for community and voluntary controlled schools, after Surrey County Council (SCC) decided to make a change.

But in the 2027/28 academic year, it will go back to being a one-week holiday.

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Sussex Police are appealing for witnesses and information after an assault took place in The Boulevard, Crawley on Monday 25 May.

Police were called to the scene at around 10.20pm.

It was reported that a man described as wearing a blue and white top and blue tracksuit bottoms assaulted a 50-year-old man in the street.

The victim suffered injuries to his head and attended hospital for treatment.

A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent and held in police custody.

On 27 May, Archie Gates, 29, of no fixed address was charged with the same offence.

He appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court the same day and was remanded into custody until his next court appearance on 24 June.

Officers are continuing to investigate and encourage anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has relevant information such as CCTV or mobile footage to report it to us.

Reports can be made online or by calling 101 and quoting serial 1868 of 25/05.