Rotary Club of Berwick upon Tweed Goes the Extra Mile with Two Successful Bike Collections

A huge thank you to Rotary Club of Berwick upon Tweed, who recently organised two fantastic bike collections in support of Re-Cycle (Bikes to Africa), collecting an incredible 84 bikes for the charity.

The initiative began with a display at the Berwick Christmas Market, encouraging local residents to give unwanted bikes a second life instead of letting them gather dust or end up in landfill. The response from the community was fantastic, leading to two dedicated collection days at Berwick Quayside on 10th and 18th January 2026.

Berwick Rotary member Andy Whiteley, who coordinated the project, explained the inspiration behind the campaign:

“We know that many people will have bicycles lying unused, cluttering up sheds and garages, with many of them likely to end up in landfill.

By working with Re-Cycle, we can help put these to good use in poorer parts of the world – where many people spend hours every day walking to collect clean water, or to get to school or work.

A bicycle unwanted in Berwick can make a tangible difference to someone in Africa.”

Once the collections were complete, the bikes still had one final journey to make.

Thanks to the generosity of MT Richardson, a local building firm that kindly provided a truck, trailer and driver, the 84 donated bikes were transported over 350 miles from Northumberland to our warehouse in Essex.

The delivery was made possible by Michael Richardson, who generously volunteered both his vehicle and his time, accompanied by Berwick Rotary members Andy Whiteley and Jimmy Jamieson.

Re-Cycle’s Fundraising & Marketing Manager said:

“Now that they’re with us, these bikes will be prepared for shipment to our trusted partners in Africa, where they’ll support access to education, employment and healthcare. A huge thank you to everyone involved—from those who donated their bikes to those who organised the collections, loaded the trailer, and made the long journey to deliver them to us.”

Berwick Rotary President Michael Gallico added:

“We are deeply grateful to Michael Richardson – who volunteered not just the vehicle, but the time to deliver the bicycles to Essex, driving an immense distance with Rotary members Andy Whiteley and Jimmy Jamieson.”

This project is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when local communities, businesses and volunteers come together. Every donated bike represents an opportunity to improve someone’s access to education, work or healthcare, while also helping to keep perfectly usable bikes out of landfill.

Thank you to everyone who donated a bike, to Berwick Rotary Club for organising two fantastic collections, and to MT Richardson for making the journey to deliver the bikes to our warehouse.