Introducing the Beyond Bars Cargo Bike crafted by the inmates of HMP Barlinnie

With funding for charities shrinking and community needs rising, many organisations are searching for new, sustainable ways to stay afloat and make a greater impact. St Paul’s Youth Forum is leading that change by opening a new social enterprise called SPYF On Bikes and Beyond Bars Cargo, in the North East of Glasgow.

Beyond Bars Cargo is a ground-breaking collaboration with HMP Barlinnie where donated bikes are being repurposed into high-quality cargo bikes. Prisoners help dismantle and rebuild the bikes, gaining valuable skills in the process. Once sold, 100 per cent of the profits go straight back into the community.

The cargo bike built and designed by prisoners at HMP Barlinnie | John Devlin / The Scotsman

Situated at Hogganfield Loch, between the affluent suburb of Stepps and one of Glasgow’s most disadvantaged communities, Blackhill, SPYF On Bikes isn’t your typical bike shop. Every penny of its profit is reinvested into the local community through the work of St Paul’s Youth Forum, a local charity empowering people through cycling, education, food, and friendship.

The work of St Paul’s Youth Forum includes distributing free bikes across Glasgow, offering bike repairs, teaching cycle safety, and promoting inclusive cycling with adaptive bikes. They also run youth programs that provide a safe and fun environment for young people to learn, grow, and explore new opportunities. Beyond bikes, the organisation addresses food insecurity by supporting community growing and cooking, and creating spaces for people to meet, move, and eat together with dignity.

Cargo bike logo with HMP Barlinnie on it | John Devlin

To generate income, SPYF On Bikes focuses on two unique areas of the cycling market.  Firstly, they specialise in adaptive bikes cycles designed for people who may not be able to use a standard bicycle. Their Hogganfield Loch showroom features a full range of Van Raam adaptive cycles, which customers can try out onsite. Staff are trained to provide one-on-one consultations to customise bikes to individual needs. And their commitment doesn’t stop at the sale: SPYF On Bikes offers full aftercare, including remote repairs, to ensure that no rider is left stranded.

Aerial view of Barlinnie Prison | John Devlin / The Scotsman

Neil Young, CEO of St Pauls Youth Forum said “At SPYF we are passionate about supporting communities to flourish and the launch of SPYF On Bikes and Beyond Bars Cargo is a really exciting point in furthering our mission to alleviate transport poverty in Blackhill and make it easy for everyone to choose to cycle.”

The opening of SPYF On Bikes marks a major milestone in the journey of St Paul’s Youth Forum from grassroots beginnings to a driving force for social innovation in Glasgow’s north east.