Bike recycling raises £50,000 for Naomi House children's hospice
The volunteer-run service has repaired and sold on 600 bikes in two years
£50,000 has been raised for Hampshire's children's hospice, Naomi House and Jacksplace, thanks to the recycling of bikes.
A volunteer-run 'Recycle Bike Hub' takes in bicycles to be refurbished or repaired and then provided to the charity's shops to be sold on.
The money raised then supports young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families.
Since launching in Winnal, Winchester two years ago, they've worked on 600 bikes.
Helena Maskell, Volunteer Services Manager, said:
“The Bike Hub was initially launched with just two volunteers and has grown to a team of 12 volunteers over the past two years. Most of the team are keen cycling enthusiasts but it is their commitment and dedication to recycling the many donated bikes we receive, and to raise money for Naomi House & Jacksplace that has made the scheme such a success.
"We are extremely lucky to have such a great team of volunteers who not only do a fantastic job, but enjoy their role and the companionship of the colleagues they work with.”
Every bike going through the service is signed off by a qualified bike mechanic, giving the next owner the confidence to buy the recycled bike.
Donations cover the cost of the spare parts required to refurbish the donated bikes, which means 100% of the sales price of every bike sold going directly to Naomi House & Jacksplace.
Richard Hollingdale, Co-Founder of Recycle Bike Hub and volunteer at Naomi House & Jacksplace, said:
“When we started the project, we had three objectives: Stop bikes being lost to landfill, get more people cycling, and raise funds for a great charity – Naomi House & Jacksplace. Charity shops are the best place to shop if you want to be a sustainable consumer, utilising recycled goods, and supporting a greener community. It made sense to sell our recycled bikes directly through the charity, and the success has been greater than we could have imagined.
“In just over two years, the bike workshop has recycled and sold over 600 bikes and raised £50,000. In addition, the workshop has positively offset 60,000kg of carbon dioxide through recycling the unused bikes, and returning them to the road with new cyclists. A big thank you to everyone who has either donated or purchased one of our recycled bikes – that’s 50,000 worth of thank you's.”
Bikes refurbished by the Recycle Bike Hub can be purchased via three of Naomi House & Jacksplace’s charity shops, at Chineham, Basingstoke; North End, Portsmouth; and Shaftesbury in Dorset.