Transport issues are increasingly a matter of concern for young people who live in rural areas.

Employment, education and training are becoming more and more difficult to access as public transport providers are forced to offer more limited services to the rural areas.

Wheels 2 Work and Wheels 2 Learning schemes provide an innovative way of overcoming transport barriers and solving this problem by offering individuals their own transport solution for a short period of time until a longer-term solution can be found.

Funded by the North West Development Agency, there is now a North West Region of Wheels 2 Work and Wheels 2 Learning schemes, operating throughout Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire.

This North West Region is a partnership between Connexions Cumbria, Cheshire and CXL alongside Runshaw College, Macclesfield Borough Council, Cheshire County Council and Ellesmere Workwise.

Aimed at 16-20 year old's, the Region aims to help 540 young people into work, studying or apprenticeship over the first two years of operation (by December 2008).

We do this by offering them the short term loan of a moped and safety equipment. The moped comes taxed, insured and MOT'd. We also put the young person through the Compulsory Basic Training to give them the required life-skills and awareness to use the road network safely.