AN OUTDOOR activity centre in the New Forest has been given 25 new mountain bikes.

Action Academy Charitable Fund has donated a fleet of 25 new Cube mountain bikes to the UK Youth Outdoor Activity Centre at Avon Tyrrell in Bransgore.

Over the last few years, UK Youth has developed their mountain bike trails at Avon Tyrrell and increased its fleet of bikes to support the growing popularity of the sport.

The centre has accessible trails for inclusion bikes, beginner and intermediate routes, as well as more technical elements for advanced riders.

Matt Simmons, chief instructor at Avon Tyrrell, said “This new fleet of bikes is going to make a massive difference to the standard of sessions that we run. The bikes are a much higher quality than our current fleet and we are very grateful to the Big Bike Bash and Action Academy Charitable Fund for their donation.”

For the past 10 years, Avon Tyrrell has hosted the annual Big Bike Bash, organised by Action Academy.

The Big Bike Bash is a family friendly bike festival where adults and young people take part in bike races and competitive challenges before enjoying a range of live music acts in the evening.

David Watts, director of operations and Avon Tyrrell, said: “These bikes will really improve our current fleet and we can’t wait to see young people using them and get them out on our tracks. Action Academy has made a positive difference for young people and we’re really grateful for their support.”