A scheme which helps people in rural areas get to work, college or training schemes is busier than ever, as Naomi Dymond discovers.

HOW did you get to work this morning? By car, bus or train maybe?

Or perhaps you walked or cycled?

Let's just imagine for a moment you live in a remote rural community and none of these options are possible – what would you do?

Suddenly, the simple action of getting to work or college can become something of a nightmare.

Well, this scenario is very real for many people in North Devon, especially when budget is a major factor.

So it's no surprise the Devon Wheels to Work scheme, based at Halwill Junction, is busier than ever.

The not-for-private-profit organisation gives people the chance to hire a scooter or motorbike, at heavily subsidised prices, so they can travel to work, college or training courses.

A week's rental starts at just £22 and last year alone, the project helped 270 people.

One of them is Paola Slade, 22, who's been signed up to Wheels to Work for six months.

She says it has transformed her life and enabled her to take a job in Holsworthy as well as one at an equine yard at Brandis Corner.

It's also meant she and her husband have been able to move to the village of Pyworthy.

She said: "I saved up my wages and did my Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course and went from there.

"It's nice to be able to get out, not just to work, and not having to rely on other people. I can see my friends as well, when I like."

Paola's now in the process of buying her bike through the scheme.

She said: "It's a struggle to make a living and have a social life. I can see some of my friends struggling. With this transport you have your own life. I would not have moved to Pyworthy without my bike."

Devon Wheels to Work was set up in 2001 with three offices across the county.

Now, it's run by a team of nine from its Halwill Junction base.

Since its launch, more than 1,500 local people aged between 16 and 65 have benefited from the service. It receives just 25% of its funding from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund and Devon County Council, the rest it generates itself to keep running.

As well as offering MOT services, an eBay store, spares and repairs, it even helps people qualify by offering subsidised CBT training.

The team is headed up by Chief Executive Max Jowett, who's been on board since the start. He says: "It provides something that changes lives. For some people it's their only option.

"It frees them up as a person and it frees up the mind. It's complete independence and it's also about wellbeing, too.

"It's not just about the person riding the bike either – it also takes pressure off families and loved ones as well.

"We have also worked with people with mild learning disabilities who would never have been able to have this independence without the scheme."

For Max, there's a very personal reason for his dedication to the cause.

A biker of 32 years, he had previously lost seven of his friends, who were all killed in motorbike accidents.

"I had a lot of experience of riding and I wanted to make sure nobody else was hurt," he says. I am responsible for that person's safety and that is huge. Our bikes are the best in the county. I'm very passionate and people have bought into that."

Safety is something Wheels to Work takes very seriously, ensuring riders are equipped with the skills and experience needed to hit the road.

For beginners like Paola, it can be daunting. She says: "I was very nervous at first. A lot of people do come right up behind you on the road.

" They just think motorcyclists are an inconvenience and some people don't have a lot of patience. It's quite scary at first but you just have to look out for yourself."

Neil Taylor-Luxton, 18, admits his parents took some convincing to let him get a bike, but since he did, he hasn't looked back.

Living in Black Torrington, at one point Neil was forced to cycle to work – a journey of up to 10 miles a day.

Alongside his studies at Petroc in Barnstaple, he now relies on his 50cc bike to get to and from his new part-time landscaping job in Northlew.

He said: "It was a relief to have it. I have got more job opportunities because I don't have to rely on my pushbike now.

"I can do a lot more work. Before I could only do until about 4pm and then had to think about getting on my bike home. Now I can work much later. It's easier to get up the hills now as well – I live in a dip so it's like living in a bowl!"

For Neil, having his independence back has been the best thing, as well as an extra half hour in bed each day.

He said: "It's a great, cheap and reliable scheme. I have recommended it to a few of my friends already. I would pick a bike over a car any day."

Most people use the service to get to work, though some use it for training courses and while searching for a job.

Up to 60 per cent are aged between 16 and 21, around 30 per cent are 21 to 25 years old and a small minority are over 25.

With 120 vehicles in its fleet, the project is going from strength to strength and aiming to make Devon a safer place to travel all round.

Max concludes: "What we are doing here is something that can provide a sustainable future for Wheels to Work schemes across the UK. People who start out on the road on motorcycles make better car drivers because they are more aware of the roads and safety."

The word 'lifeline' is used all too commonly in tales such as this. However, when it comes to the Wheels to Work scheme, having seen its work for myself, there really is no better way to sum it up.

It gives people vital access to work and training, but most importantly of all, it gives them their independence. And you really can't put a price on that.

You can contact Devon Wheels To Work on 0845 0944 308 or 01409 220357.

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