A BIKE charity has launched a campaign to save an under-threat cycle track following a rift in the organisation.
A split between staff and management at Free Wheel North has hit crisis point with four jobs facing redundancy and funding pulled for the track.
Free Wheel North has a centre in Maryhill and also the cycle track at Glasgow Green, which is used by more than 250 groups.
Now staff are calling for public and political support to take over the Glasgow Green facility either as a new organisation or under the auspices of an existing charity.
At a public meeting last week, staff, volunteers and those who use the cycle track spoke of their frustrations at the situation.
Alison Thewliss MP, who chaired the meeting, said: "I have been down to the cycle track many times with the kids and it is an important part of Glasgow Green.
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"It's also such an important resource for disabled cycling, it provides somewhere where people can have that safe space to learn and join in.
"I am deeply concerned about the uncertainty of the future of the cycle centre and fully support the staff and volunteers who are trying to secure a positive future for it.
"It's really good to see a strong show of support for centre as well."
Yesterday supporters cycled to George Square to leaflet councillors going to the first full council meeting of the session.
And they will gather outside Nicola Sturgeon's office in Govanhill on September 16 as Carol Thompson, one of the staff members at risk of losing her job, meets the First Minister.
A raft of concerns - including poor management and bullying - at Free Wheel North led to the charity being referred to the watchdog Oscr, which is carrying out an investigation.
Norman Armstrong, who founded Free Wheel North in 2008, defended the running of the charity.
He said there is ample funding for the Glasgow Green Cycle Centre but that funding had been withdrawn due to the Oscr probe triggered by staff.
However, a letter sent to the four staff, and seen by the Glasgow Times, says the cycle centre is generating "insufficient funds to cover its expenditure and is operating at a loss of around £4500 per month."
"The charity now has insufficient financial reserves to comply with its financial controls policy and must take immediate steps to address this," the letter adds.
"This is due to the withdrawal of funding from the project and the lack of any available alternative funding while the ongoing OSCR investigation is conducted."
The letter is signed by new board member Stephen Koepplinger.
Cyclist Bernie Hunter, who uses a wheelchair, said the centre is a welcoming and safe place for people of all abilities and described the commitment of staff as "second to none".
She said: "As a regular visitor to the cycling centre at Glasgow Green, I am truly disappointed and extremely angry that staff have been given short notices of redundancies within the charity.
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"Not only is it unfair, but the situation is also going to have a huge impact on the cycling community- it is a lifeline for so many people especially those who have additional support needs.
"Staying with the community side of things, it has brought people together and created friendships - I really don't want to think about the cycling centre getting closed."
Bernie has been using the Glasgow Green cycling centre since 2015.
She has cerebral palsy, which affects all four limbs and means it is not possible to use a two-wheel bike.
Bernie said: "I did have a trike of my own when I was very young, but I grew out of it and had to accept that I would never cycle again.
"This all changed when I came across the charity, I went to Glasgow Green and got to try a trike with the support and advice of the staff plus volunteers.
"A lot of time has passed, and I still love my trips to the bikes. I see friends, I get the feeling of free while cycling as obviously I am out of my wheelchair - not to mention how good it is for me exercise wise.
"I just go off in my own wee world and have a smile on my face - it really is my happy place."
Norman said the prospects for funding the track are "good" but blamed staff for the current situation of the track.
He says the cycle track "cannot be a stand-alone project".
Norman added: "The prospects for regaining funding are good, but only in the context of the human and climate rights issues I have been working on for many years and in which I have gained significant respect.
"The centre will survive - there may be a pause.
"But there is no stopping the energy and the demand that have driven it forward for many years, nor the projects with which it is essentially integrated, especially The Whitehouse in Maryhill.
"The Whitehouse is growing well as an ideas café and centre for networking for partner organisations, a bike shop, and most of all a centre for public space and human rights, notably the right of people of ethnic minorities to health and activity.
"There is much funding out there for all this.
"We are working on it."
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