A DISABILITY charity has raised £4,000 in York to buy an adapted bike for the people they support.

United Response is a national charity which supports people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health needs to live the lives they choose.

Staff at the York branch set up a series of fundraising events to buy an adapted tandem bike for their service users, and the new Roam TwinBike is now in use around the city, allowing people to improve their quality of life, health and become more connected with the community and confident in public.

One user - Diana, who has autism - is assisted by her support workers to use the adapted tandem bike and has found that cycling has changed her life. She cannot use an ordinary two-wheeled bike because she would be unable to balance. The adapted tandem bike allows her to cycle at ease alongside her support worker.

One of her support workers, Janice, said: "As long as I have known Diana, her autism has caused her to be introspective. However, since being able to get out on the new bike, she has taken much more interest in what’s going on around her and in other people."

United Response thanked everyone who donated, along with local businesses including Diamond’s Beauty and Spa, Sainsburys, the Jorvik Viking Centre, The Deep, York Dungeons, Reel Cinemas, Morrisons, Acomb, Black Tides Tattoo, Sundeck, Varney Photographers, Rob Cook Photographers and McDonald’s for donating prizes to its fundraising activities.

The charity also thanked the Sylvia and Colin Shepherd Charitable Trust, Patricia and Donald Shepherd Trust and the Harapan Trust for their generous donations and Get Cycling for their support and advice.