A VOLUNTEER-RUN bike recycling project in Winchester has raised more than £100,000 for Naomi and Jack’s, and is now appealing for a digitally savvy helper to keep its online sales rolling.
Recycle Bike Hub, based at the Naomi House and Jack’s Place warehouse in Winnall, takes in donated bicycles, repairs and services them, then sells them on to new owners, with every penny going to support the hospices’ work with life-limited children and young adults.
Speaking at the Cycle Winchester Mass Ride on Saturday, April 25, co-founder Richard Hollingdale told crowds the scheme had now sold more than 1,250 bikes and raised over £100,000 for the charity since it began just over four years ago.
“Our main aim is to stop bikes from wasting away in garages and sheds and get people cycling on affordable bikes,” he said.
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“All those bikes have been donated to our bike project, we’ve serviced them, fully signed them off with qualified bike mechanics, and every penny we sell those bikes for goes to Naomi House and Jack’s Place.”
The hub operates out of a workshop in Winnall and sells bikes through two charity shops as well as online, with about 50 per cent of its turnover now coming from eBay sales.
Mr Hollingdale said people were travelling from as far afield as London, Brighton, Bridgwater in Somerset and the Midlands to collect bikes bought online from the Winchester base.
“You can never have too many bikes, and you can never have too many people on this ride,” he told the crowd.
Alongside its fundraising, the project has saved more than 1,000 bikes from going to waste by refurbishing them for new riders, supporting both sustainable travel and affordable access to cycling.
As the project has grown, Recycle Bike Hub is now looking for a volunteer to help run its eBay operation.
“We are all volunteers,” Mr Hollingdale said. “If someone can volunteer for one or two mornings a week and help us load to eBay, we can keep that number going. Anyone who’s interested in digital or eBay or bikes – bikes and eBay is a great thing – please come and see me because it would really help us and help the whole project.”
Bikes, accessories and clothing were on sale at the group’s stand in Abbey Gardens during the mass ride, with all proceeds going to Naomi House and Jack’s Place.
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