A youth centre in Battersea is empowering young people by encouraging them to to pick up bikes, instead of knives. 

Carney's Community have held three #Knivesdownbikesup campaigns in the last year, as part of a wider national campaign. 

The most recent workshop was held last week, where the centre repaired 30 donated bikes, with the help of the young people there. 

These bikes were given to the young people. This was their third and most successful workshop. 

Rory Bradshaw from Carney's said: "We gave away 30 bikes to young people in the area, with the aim to help them and help a repair session. 

"It's not something we started but it fits our ethos and aims. Bikes open doors for young people, who might not be able to get around London. They can ride around the capital and learn about new areas. 

"All our bikes come from donations, we just ask them to be fixable. Our aim is to start a social enterprise, where young people fix bikes and we sell them on, making something sustainable."

#Knivesdownbikesup is part of a UK wide campaign called bikestormz, which brings kids from all of over the UK together, whilst breaking social barriers for communities. 

Bikestormz started just over 3 years ago as a major ride out which consisted of cyclists from all over the UK, launched by community activist, Mac Ferrari and Jake O'Neill.

Jake states that when they first tried to stop London knife crime by getting teenagers on their bikes, "20 to 30 people" showed up.

Last year, 3,000 people - mostly teenage boys - rode through the capital, pulling tricks and stopping the traffic.

Mac set up the Bikestormz project with his friend Jake, 19 - also known as Jake 100 – after both of them lost friends to knife/gun crime

Click here for more information about Carney's Community and here for more information about Bikestormz.