RIDERS of all ages and abilities ignored the wet weather and hopped on their bikes at the weekend to take part in a community cycle dubbed the ‘Tour de Neilston.’

The free event brought together residents for a fun-filled ride through the streets and woodland surrounding the village.

The group set off from The Bank community hub, in Main Street, which is the newly-refurbished premises of the Neilston Development Trust (NDT), which organised the cycle.

Jennifer Carroll, programme co-ordinator at NDT, told the Barrhead News: “Thanks to support from the local Co-op Community Fund, we were able to provide a pit stop where all riders received a goodie bag of treats, drinks and healthy snacks.

“The overall event was sponsored by Cycling UK and we thank them for their support.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our volunteers as, without them, events like this would not be possible.”

Alongside the Tour De Neilston, NDT ran a Pop-up Zero Waste Café, supported by The Lottery Fund and inspired by the COP26 climate change conference that will take place in Glasgow next month.

Cyclists and members of the community were welcomed through the doors of the café for fresh coffee and hot food.

“The idea to run a café with a minimal amount of waste being produced came about from COP26 being hosted in Glasgow this year,” added Jennifer.

“We achieved this by following the golden rules of refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot.

“The café was a fabulous success and something we will be bringing back again in the near future.”

Anyone interested in volunteering with NDT can email Jennifer.carroll@neilstontrust.co.uk.