Help Recyke y'Bike Keep The Wheels Turning

After 18 years of giving bikes to people in need, we need your help. The rising cost of living and increase in people facing transport poverty means there’s a bigger demand than ever for our services. 

While we are committed to meeting this demand, we’re also facing significant increases in our own rent, bills and overhead costs. So we’re asking for your support to continue our work. 

DONATE NOW AND HAVE DOUBLE THE IMPACT!

Right now, your donations can have a huge impact on the work we do. That’s because Aviva's Community Fund will double every donation received in this crowdfunder, up to a value of £250 per donor/bank card.

So please donate as much as you are able to and share far and wide! Thank you.

Who We Are 

Here at Recyke y'Bike we use bikes to help improve the lives of socially and economically disadvantaged communities in the North East of England.

We know that a bike can be a powerful tool.

It’s a tool that can make a positive difference to someone’s financial situation, their physical health and their mental health. In fact, bikes are a great way to address a range of social issues, including:

• Transport poverty
• Obesity
• Stress 
• Depression
• Unemployment

They’re also really fun, cheap to get about on and environmentally friendly – especially when refurbished and reused!

That’s why we take in old bikes, fix them up, give them to those in need and empower people with the skills to maintain them.

Our charity was founded in 2006 and is now a passionate team of 15 mechanics and staff and 40 active volunteers, who are based out of our hubs in Byker and Chester-le-Street.

We’re all lovers of cycling, who are dedicated to improving people’s lives through bikes!

WHAT WE DO

Give bikes to those who need them

Through our Bike Referral Scheme, we provide a free bike, helmet, lock and lights to a range of community groups, including to: 

• Children
• Families struggling financially
• Refugees and people seeking asylum 

In fact, since 2020 we’ve given away 1055 bikes – and counting!

Community workshops and outreach

We host a range of regular, free workshops that empower people in different communities by teaching valuable skills on how to fix a bike.

Our sessions are targeted at those on very low incomes, children and under-represented groups in cycling that might not ordinarily feel comfortable walking into a bike shop.

This year alone, we’ve run over 180 hours of workshops, which include:

• Pop-ups in schools
• Street repair sessions in low income neighbourhoods
• Weekly Young Volunteers Club for 13 to 17 year olds
• Women’s monthly workshops
• LGBTQ+ Monthly workshops 

Not only do our workshops give people the practical skills to maintain their own bikes cheaply, they also provide transferable skills which can improve their lives socially and economically, such as:

• Improved self confidence
• A sense of purpose and self-worth
• Social skills
• A sense of community

Sessions for young people

We run a number of programmes which aim to engage with young people using bikes as the medium, and then support them to grow their confidence, self-esteem and interpersonal skills alongside their mechanical skills

HOW WE DO IT

We take in donated bikes that have been left gathering dust, left outside, in sheds, in passageways etc, and which would otherwise contribute to waste.

Our team of mechanics and volunteers then bring them to our workspaces in Byker and Chester-le-Street and give them a new lease of life. They’re then ready to be donated, or sold in our shops to help generate extra income for the charity. Any that can’t be refurbished are recycled.

The total cost of processing a donated bike into a safe, refurbished bike ready for use in the community is around £165.

And while we receive some grant funding, it does not always cover the full cost. Which is why we also rely on our shops and bike servicing, as well as ongoing donations to fund our services.

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP!

In a cost of living crisis, having a free and self-sufficient form of transport is more important than ever. So it’s probably no surprise that we have had a huge increase in demand for our services.

Meanwhile, we’re also facing increased overhead costs such as rent, heating and fuel.

Our warehouse in Byker sits very much at the heart of our operations. It’s used to refurbish bikes, host our workshops and generate extra income through bike servicing and sales. But with the winter months approaching, heating the space is extremely expensive, and often our bike mechanics and volunteers are working in freezing conditions.

We currently have 40 active volunteers – and without them we couldn’t do what we do. Under the guidance of our staff, the volunteers enable us to process donated bikes each month, provide guidance to shop customers and help with events.

So we need to make sure that every time they step foot in the warehouse they feel comfortable, warm and supported so that they want to keep coming back!

As a Charity, we rely on ongoing donations to fund all of our services, as well as money from grants, shops and bike servicing.

As grant funding is becoming increasingly harder to secure, we are asking for money to keep us going during the colder months, and help us find some stability whilst we restructure our offering and develop new income streams.   

Your Donations Help Us Now More Than Ever

We have secured match-funding from Aviva's Community Fund. This means Aviva will match every donation received, up to £250 per donor/bank card.

This means that if someone gives £5, Aviva will double it to £10. If they give £250, Aviva doubles it to £500. 

Funds will go towards:

• Heating our warehouse so that we can provide a safe, warm, pleasant working environment for our volunteers and staff
• Covering essential operating expenses so that we can continue the running of premises, to offer services including: 
• Refurbishing bikes for our bike referral scheme 
• Teaching young people, women, asylum seekers and members of the LGBTQ+ community bike mechanics for free
• Ensuring we have the right qualified staff to facilitate all of our programmes

Your donation, no matter what size, will help! Thank you.