Children across the North East will be pedalling into the festive season with a smile this year as the Bikes for Christmas Campaign officially launched on Monday the 3rd November.
Now in its second year, the project, led by Karen Adam MSP in partnership with Stella’s Voice, Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeen City Council, and Moray Council, will ensure that hundreds of children across the three council wards receive upcycled bikes and brand-new safety equipment in time for Christmas.
The initiative first launched in 2023, providing over 200 children across Banffshire and Buchan Coast with bikes and helmets. After last year’s success, the scheme has expanded significantly, with Aberdeen City joining the programme for the first time and both Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils extending the project to cover their entire local authority areas.
Beyond spreading festive cheer, the campaign is making a meaningful contribution to tackling child poverty and promoting sustainability. By giving children access to free, refurbished bikes, it helps remove financial barriers for families while encouraging healthy lifestyles, independence, and inclusion.
At the heart of the initiative is Stella’s Voice, a Peterhead-based charity that collects, restores, and upcycles donated bikes, turning those left forgotten in sheds and garages into treasured gifts for local children. Each bike is carefully refurbished by the team at Stella’s Voice and fitted with new safety equipment, ensuring that every child receives a safe, high-quality bike.
This year’s campaign was launched across in Moray, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire, with events held in Cullen, Kingswells and Stonehaven and attended by local school children.
The bikes will be rolling out via the school network over the coming weeks.
Karen Adam MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast said:
As a mum and an MSP, I’ve seen first-hand the way a bike can change a child’s world. It’s freedom, friendship, and fresh air all rolled into one, and this winter it’s also a bit of hope at a time when many families are feeling the squeeze. I’m so proud that, working with these partners, we’re getting hundreds of upcycled bikes out through our schools. After last year’s success in Banffshire and Buchan Coast, it’s brilliant to see the scheme grow across the North East, with launches in Cullen, Kingswells and Stonehaven. This is what partnership looks like, when our local charities, councils, schools and community sport all pull together to tackle child poverty, promote health and inclusion, and do it sustainably by giving forgotten bikes a new life.”
Mark Morgan, Stella’s Voice, said:
“As Christmas approaches, many families across Aberdeen City and Shire are experiencing increasing hardship. Through this joint effort, we aim to ensure that some of the children most affected don’t miss out this festive season. A bike offers more than just fun, it provides exercise, independence, and the chance to join in with friends.”
Stuart Grant, Active Schools and Community Sport Manager, Aberdeenshire Council, said:
“We are delighted to again be involved in supporting the work of Stella's Voice with their Christmas Bikes initiative. With last year bringing huge benefits to the North Aberdeenshire area, and the Easter options having supported Central Aberdeenshire, we now look forward to bringing the same opportunities to South Aberdeenshire.”
Keith Heslop, Chief Executive Officer, Sport Aberdeen, said:
“Sport Aberdeen is delighted to be involved in this year’s Bikes for Christmas project. As a charity committed to creating opportunities, inspiring people and changing lives, we’re proud to work in partnership with Stella’s Voice, the schools network and a range of local partners to help ensure children and families most in need across the city receive bikes this Christmas. By supporting this fantastic initiative, we hope to inspire even more young people and their families to get outdoors, be active and enjoy the many benefits of cycling.”
Roy McPherson, Principal Active Schools and Community Sport Officer, Moray Council, said:
“We saw 88 school pupils from Moray benefiting from the project across the summer term, including care-experienced pupils, families experiencing poverty, and young people that have recently moved to Scotland. Moray Council is committed to promoting this positive opportunity across all schools again in the lead-up to Christmas.”
Paul Finch, Director of Nestrans said, “Nestrans is proud to support the work of Stella’s Voice through our People and Place Programme for 2025/26, which is fully funded under the Scotland-wide Programme from Transport Scotland. By supporting the Christmas Bike Campaign and the fantastic year-round efforts from Stella’s Voice to make bikes more accessible for everyone, we aim to encourage and empower more people across the north east to choose cycling for their
Karen Adam MSP added:
My heartfelt thanks go to the team at Stella’s Voice and to everyone across our councils, schools and community partners, Sport Aberdeen, Active Schools, and NESTRANS, who have rolled up their sleeves to make this happen. Every refurbished bike means a child who can join in with pals, build confidence and independence, and feel the pure joy of cycling on Christmas morning. To the volunteers, donors and staff who’ve turned dusty shed bikes into treasured gifts, thank you. You’re not just delivering bikes, you’re delivering opportunities, memories and a bit of magic this Christmas.