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Bicycles Change Lives - updated 25th February 2012
Transport and development go hand-in-hand. Virtually everything traded, must be transported, and almost everyone needs wheels to get to work or school. Simple, affordable transport generates income opportunities in developing countries, as well as saving lots of time and back-breaking work.
In Britain, millions of bikes are thrown away or lie unused in sheds, whilst many people in Africa have no access to transport of any kind. People spend hours each day walking to collect water, firewood or to access health care, school and employment. A bicycle lightens this burden and dramatically improves their wellbeing as well as work and education opportunities helping to bring social change. A bicycle cuts travel time to a fraction and can carry passengers and heavy loads. Bikes give families the extra time to earn, learn and enjoy life.
The ever growing list below shows the countries that the bikes have been sent to since we started shipping to Africa in 1998. We have now sent more than 100 container shipments and will reach 40,000 bikes sent early in 2012 - all thanks to the donations of bikes, time and money from our many wonderful supporters. Very many thanks to all who have supported our work.
| bike counter | total: | 40,164 | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cameroon | 364 |  Liberia | 1,133 |
 Congo | 80 |  Namibia | 2,610 |
 The Gambia | 1,574 |  Nigeria | 100 |
 Ghana | 16,292 |  Sierra Leone | 85 |
 Haiti | 350 |  South Africa | 11,636 |
 Kenya | 2,238 |  Uganda | 1,013 |
 Lesotho | 453 |  Zambia | 1,160 |
 Malawi | 912 |  Tanzania | 164 |
Fundraiser starts today :) 9 May 2012
Re~Cycle would like to welcome Kelley Parfitt, our new Trust Fundraiser, to the team.
Kelley has been fundraising for the past six years, all in international development, for which she has a passion.
She'll be working Wednesday to Friday, and raising lots of much needed funds - hint hint, please donate, even if she doesn't ask you!
Ghana update 2
Derek writes: stayed with Jason last night in his very modest 2 room village house - communal long drop latrine pit and shower from a bucket of well water. He truly lives very simply and fully integrated into village life. His only comfort is a fan which cools his sleeping area helps keep mosquitoes away. No travelling today - bliss, but busy moving stuff from the defunct Ezetela project to the new No Rush In Life Bicycle Workshop.
Jason Finch has been 'our man in Ghana' for a couple of years. He's been helping us find out about what's going on on the ground, and with setting up new projects. Has been all over Africa visiting our partners and other bike reuse projects to find out more.
Our web page on the project he's been running is here - http://www.re-cycle.org/Africa/Partners/Ghana/Ezetela
Is a link to his photos there also, with the brilliant workshop he's created by converting an old shipping container. The high quality has raised the profile of the shop and cycling in general.
The Ezetela workshop employs five mechanics and has a big focus on repairs, which keeps many bikes on the road, reduces reliance on importing bikes and saves people vital money.
Ghana update
Derek says: Another busy day with lots of time spent travelling in a crowded decrepid mini bus weaving at speed dodging pot holes and goats. Tomorrow we are attending a bike training session nearby organised by our partner the Village Bicycle Project
Hot, humid & very noisy but also very exciting
Derek, long serving employee and manager of our Colchester hub, is in Ghana for the first time. He's visiting partners to get feedback about how we can help them more, tailor our shipments and generally improve what we do.
Living in rural areas with little access to technology, the only contact we've had is through text messages, but they are certainly telling!
1. Meeting with some people from The Village Bicycle Project. They love Re~Cycle but would like us to send them more shipments!
2. Travelling back to Korforidua early tomorrow to spend the day with Ability Bikes. The container we sent last month was received recently and they are very pleased with the load. They are truly inspiring and we can take great pride in supporting their work.
We can't wait to hear more from Derek and use the feedback to improve our operations.
Re~Cycle seeks a Senior Trust Fundraiser – Brighton/Colchester/Home based
Re~Cycle is looking for someone with the ability and drive to initiate, develop and maintain a trust fundraising programme from scratch. Although Re~Cycle has received some lottery and statutory grants in the past, it has undertaken very little grant or trust fundraising before.
21 hours per week, £30,000 pro rata
CRAZIEST EVER day in Cochester - 21st March 2012
- 100+ bikes from Hetland Garden Centre, Dumfries, Scotland
- 35 bikes from our drop off point in Ipswich
- 40 bikes from Royal Mail Gatwick
- 90 bikes from Isis prison
Big Thanks to you all - though we're 'rather tired'!
We shipped to Ghana last week, so this is a good start towards the next container.
100th bike collected by Action Bikes
Generous Action Bike customers have just donated the 100th bike for Re~Cycle. Bikes that have been collected at their 5 London stores are coming to Re~Cycle for shipment to Africa via Isis Prison in Woolwich where the bikes are being refurbished in their workshop. The workshop provides useful work and learning opportunities for prisioners and ensures that we receive the bikes in good working order. Tony Yerby of Action Bikes says that the number of bikes coming in is steadily increasing as word of the project spreads.
We are enormously grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment of Tony and his colleagues at Action Bikes for making this collection project work and for the generousity of their customers who have donated their old bikes to us.
One of the 100 bikes collected by Action Bikes - kindly donated by David Hammond from Haddenham, Bucks
1st shipment of 2012 on its way to Malawi
Our first shipment loaded on the 3rd February is now on its long journey to Malawi. Loaded with 437 bikes and hundreds of spare parts of all shapes and sizes, the container sailed from Felixstowe an is due to arrive at Lilongwe on the 24th April. On arrival, our partner, Salvo Bikes, a project set up by The Salvation Army International Division as part of its Anti Child Trafficking work, will arrange onward transport to the final destination Mchinji near the boarder with Zambia.
This is the second shipment we have sent to this partner and all involved have been delighted at the popularity of the bikes with local people and the success of the newly refitted and expanded bike workshop housed in an old shipping container that we sent loaded with the first shipment of bikes.
As well as the easy to envisage benefit of the bicycles, the workshop employs two bike mechanics and this additional benefit of creating local emplyoment has encouraged the project to create an additional workshop on the site of the Anti Child Trafficking refuge that will teach tailoring and dressmaking skills that will no doubt offer futher work creation opportunities. We are very proud to support the great work the project undertakes.
Last container of 2011 arrives at the BEN in South Africa
Our last shipment of 2011 arrived at The Bicycle Empowerment Network in Cape Town, South Africa last month. Re~Cycle are supporting BEN in their mission to address issues of mobility in local low income areas.
BEN also trains recipients in essential bicycle maintenance and safety, and continues to canvas local authorities to implement bicycle-friendly planning and infrastructure in urban development.
This last shipment also included 101 ex-Royal Mail delivery bicycles - which have a supposed load capacity of 36kgs (but secretly much, much more). We're really excited to hear about how their new owners will use them and what difference they'll make!
See the whole set of unloading pictures on BEN's Facebook page here.