Volunteer Spotlight: Andrew’s 5-Year Journey with Re-Cycle
This month, we’re thrilled to highlight Andrew, a volunteer who has been an invaluable part of the Re-Cycle team for the past five years. Andrew’s commitment makes a significant impact both at Re-Cycle and in his local community.
Every Tuesday, you’ll find Andrew at Re-Cycle, preparing bikes for container loading. The goal? To make the bikes as compact as possible, ensuring we can fit as many as possible into each shipment.
On top of his regular volunteering, Andrew also participates in Re-Cycle’s annual Sportives to raise even more funds for our cause.
Andrew’s dedication doesn’t stop there. He also collects bikes from his local area to bring to Re-Cycle. This effort not only helps us reach more people in need but also benefits his community by providing an easy way for residents to donate their unused bikes.
This is Andrew’s Story…
I was shocked when the Re-Cycle team told me I’d been volunteering for 5 years in August. Where had the time gone and why has it been such a good place to spend my time?
Well it started after I retired from working at Ford Motor Company after 32 years. I’d decided to use some of my new found time to give back and volunteering was an option I was looking for.
So, I was treating myself to a new road bike at Torque Bikes in Sudbury when a guy walked in wearing a Re-Cycle t-shirt to collect some donated bikes. After a brief conversation I learned about the great work that Re-cycle do in shipping bikes to Africa, plus the opportunity and need for volunteers to support their activities.
After contacting Re-Cycle and a discussion with Charlotte, a few weeks later I turned up at the Warehouse as requested to meet Mark for my first day of volunteering.
My role was set as a ‘flat packer’, preparing donated bikes so they are the smallest size possible, for maximum space efficiency when packed into one of the Africa containers.
One of the Re-Cycle activities I’ve been proud about is when I linked it with my Parish Councillor role for a bike collection day at the village I live in. It was so successful that Mark had to return to the Warehouse in the van, to unload and return for a second van load. I’ve now become the used bike man locally and still return home to find a delivery of a couple of bikes on my drive, left for shipment to the Warehouse on my volunteer Tuesday!
Apart from a period of time during Covid when all the volunteers were ‘furloughed’, I have worked with the same ‘Tuesday’ crew, together preparing over 100 bikes in the day, listening to John’s Spotify playlist, drinking more tea than the rest of the week put together, eating biscuits and the occasional cake and talking bloke talk. It’s a fantastic day I look forward to!
Everything about volunteering and Re-cycle is a win-win. It’s fantastic for the African country partners and their local communities, it’s good for the UK – environmentally, plus business partners and amazing for us volunteers – socially, physically, mentally and enjoyably.
Andrew’s work over the last five years has helped transform countless lives, bringing the practicality of cycling to those who need it most.
We’re incredibly grateful for his ongoing support and proud to have him as part of the Re-Cycle family.
Read more about how you can support Re-Cycle HERE
