What We Do
What we do
The ethos behind our work is sustainability. Re-Cycle works in partnership with four organisations across four different African countries, each one doing something inspiring and empowering with the bicycles we send them. All own and run bike social enterprises – this ensures that the bikes we provide can be repaired, distributed and maintained for a long time to come.
We send our partners bikes, spare parts and tools (for free) that can be sold for a fraction of market value via their bicycle social enterprise. Working in this way generates multiple outcomes:
- Affordable transport for the local community: New bike owner can access quality, affordable bikes and on-going repair services.
- Sustainable income: Our partners use the income from their bike social enterprises to fund work to help their beneficiaries.
- Local employment and skill development: Each partner employs local bike mechanics, some of which Re-Cycle has helped train.
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Capital to pay for the shipping of the next container of bikes: our partners are responsible for the shipping costs and onwards transport – an expense which can run into several thousand pounds depending on where they are located. As a result, all of our partners sell a number of the bicycles they receive to recover their investment and raise money to fund projects, buy materials and pay their local staff.
Re-Cycle supports this model of social-entrepreneurship, using a business model to achieve a charitable income.
Re-Cycle receives used bikes in the UK and donates them to trusted partners in Africa.
It’s a hand up not a hand-out
Not only are things that are given away not valued, but gifting bicycles in large numbers harms local vendors, who cannot compete with free bikes.
Working with the existing market networks allows our partners to both realise the true value of the bicycles they receive and distribute them further and more quickly.
The Re-Cycle Warehouse
Our warehouse is the hub of activity where the bikes are delivered and pre-sorted for bikes that go to Africa, those that need stripping for parts and those that are suitable for potential re-furbishing.
We rely on the support of volunteers (30 plus) to enable us to prepare bikes, strip bikes and help with the loading and unloading of containers. On average we load around 500 bikes and spare parts per container, this is down to the skill of our staff and volunteers.
The Re-Cycle Workshop
A small percentage of the bikes that are donated are not suitable for the rough terrain in Africa. If they are still in good working order with some residual value they will be put through our workshop to be repaired and serviced by our qualified Cytech mechanics.
The bikes are then sold on to the local community in the UK. The funds raised from the bike sales goes into our core funding, which enables to charity to send more bikes to Africa.
Buy a Bike
Dr Bike
Re-Cycle’s Dr Bike service offers free cycle safety checks (Bicycle M-Check) and adjustments for staff and students at the Colchester University Campus.
This includes minor adjustments to Brakes, Gears, Tyre Inflation and Lubrication of the Chain.
