Re-Cycle (Bikes To Africa)
Lying around 7km from Colchester Station there is a very large barn that does a lot of good for the world. Re-Cycle are a charity born in 1997 by sending donated bikes to South Africa. They have grown over the last 25 plus years and now over 10,000 bikes a year pass through these doors heading to a variety of African countries where they, quite literally, change lives. And if you didn’t know it was here you would never know it existed or the good that was being done on the premises.
To be shown around we got the train out to Colchester and rode about 15 mins away from town where we were met by Georgia, whom we have been in contact with. Over a cup of tea she introduced the charity before handing me to Mark, who runs the warehouse operations. The first thing that really strikes you is the sheer amount of bicycles under this roof. There must be thousands of all shapes and sizes from a range of donors but currently with the bulk coming from collections at Halfords stores nationwide.
Mark, an enthusiastic and highly likeable character, shows us around. It’s crazy to think that a container of just over 500 bicycles leaves here for Africa around once a fortnight.
They arrive from a range of sources and are sorted by the team here. Then they are distributed to a range of countries on the continent via a network of partners who allocate them in country to the places and causes that need them the most. The impact of having working bikes to people in the communities that these bicycles end up is huge. From getting to school faster and having more time in education to being able to carry loads to and from a point more efficiently. The bikes that leave here change lives.
Once unloaded each bike is sorted based upon what sort of bike it is. Some are auctioned off, some might be sold on (because maybe old racing bikes aren’t going to be that much use on Zambian roads but the value of them might be of better use). Others that can’t be sent for any other reason (seized bearings, cracked frames etc) are stripped for parts to be sent out as spares. Piles of pre-sorted hardtails, front suspension, kids bikes and full suspension bikes are stacked all around the warehouse. These are then arranged in such a way so as to slimline them as much as physically possible so that as many bikes as possible can fit onto each container. This number being somewhere a bit north of 500. The container is them padded with spares from grease to repair kits, inner tubes and tyres and off it goes!
The work here of course extends out across borders, training mechanics and providing cheap, sustainable transport to those who really need it and for whom it can really make a difference but the impact Re-Cycle has lands closer to home too. Inside these walls are a network of volunteer workers who have found a home here. Richard introduces me to a team of mechanics some of whom are training and some of who are retired and are providing their life and career experience to the whole project. Several of these people have been working away here for over a decade. As Mark showed us around we were joined by another long term volunteer. Ryan would otherwise find employment difficult but he has been here for 14 years specialising in packing bikes and containers benefiting from both the routine of the workplace and its social kickback. A lot goes on under this roof.
150,000 bicycles and counting have left this warehouse and you wouldn’t know it was there and the good it is doing.
If you have a bike to donate the chances are your local bike shop will have the contact details of Re-Cycle or you can pop it into your nearest Halfords. You would be doing a great thing. And if you are looking for a bargain and want to support the cause pop to the warehouse where there are a selection of bikes for sale, especially kids bikes.