Heron Bros Support Family Event
Recently Heron Bros, the contractor currently building the Edinburgh Innovation Hub – a significant joint venture between East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University and ESES City Region Deal – proudly sponsored 'The Bike Station's free Bike Safety Checks' at the LIL Families Event.
The event held at Knox Academy, is the creation of Lil CIC (Lower Impact Living, based in East Lothian. Lil CIC are on a mission to make it easy for everyone to live in a way that’s kinder to the planet and each other. They are committed to a future where we all use less and share more, where nothing is wasted, including opportunity! Promoting living in a thriving community and environment. Lil promotes reuse and sharing, reducing waste and making the most of the resources we have.
Heron Bros were keen as get involved with a local group to encourage active family travel within East Lothian, and had approached The Bike Station to deliver free Bike Saftey checks to ensure that families were safe and ready to go cycling this summer. With a keen focus on sustainability and fostering healthy communities, Heron Bros recognises the vital role cycling plays in reducing environmental impact and promoting active lifestyles. Supporting this initiative aligns perfectly with their commitment to creating a greener future and contributing positively to the well-being of the local community surrounding the Innovation Hub and beyond.
The expert mechanics at The Bike Station checked everything from brakes and tyres to chain and gears, ensuring bikes were safe and roadworthy for all future family cycling adventures.
The timed slots provided a great opportunity to:
- Ensure bikes were safe to ride
- Identify any potential issues before they became a problem
- Gave expert advice on bike maintenance
The Bike Station is a social enterprise based in Edinburgh and Perth, committed to making cycling more accessible, sustainable, and joyful for everyone. More than just a bike shop, we refurbish pre-loved bikes, run affordable repairs, provide skills development classes, and deliver community programmes to help people of all ages cycle with confidence. Our mission is to promote cycling in all its forms—whether that’s providing access to a refurbished bike or cargo bike, building skills for long-term change, or supporting healthier, more sustainable communities. Through bike reuse, recycling, and empowering our communities, we’re working towards a greener future, one bike at a time.
Dr Bike is all about removing barriers to cycling. With our free bike health checks, we’re helping more people feel confident and safe on their bikes—an essential step toward encouraging active travel and building healthy habits. At our session at the Lil Families Event, families also had the chance to learn how to do their own pre-ride checks, giving them the tools and confidence they need to keep riding. This helps foster a stronger, more connected, and more sustainable community!
The Bike Station mechanics were able to check 10 bikes and and offer maintenance on the day, benfitting multiple families and enabling them to head out cycling safely.
It was wonderful to see The Bike Station team, supported by Heron Bros, assisting families to get out cycling. Bike maintenance can limit family cycling because often bikes aren't ready to go or people don't have the skills/confidence/time to ensure their bikes are safe. The mechanics had many conversations about bike maintenance and safety. It was really beneficial in expanding the definition of 'circular' at the event too - not just reuse but repair too keeping those wheels turning!