Here at Beeline, we believe in helping people to have better journeys on two wheels. The first step though? Helping people to have any journeys on two wheels! We need people to jump into the saddle before we can work our magic on making sure that they enjoy it. So it is part of our mission to get as many people as possible riding bikes.
That’s why we have been supporting our friends at The Bike Project.
The Bike Project is an awesome charity that gives bikes (and bike gear) to refugees in London (our home city!) and Birmingham. While seeking asylum, refugees live on just £37 a week, making it impossible for them to afford public transport as they navigate their new life here. A bike opens up endless possibilities that help to fast-track the process and their integration into our communities.
There are thousands of abandoned and unwanted bikes in London; and thousands of refugees for whom having a bike would make a massive difference.
Since 2013, The Bike Project has been collecting second-hand bikes from the police, local councils and individuals, refurbishing them and finding them fantastic new homes.
With a new free mode of transport, it is estimated that refugees save £20 a week and £1,040 a year. They feel more engaged and part of their communities, and are able to access food banks, legal advice, healthcare and education much more easily. The Bike Project’s other schemes, the Talent Development Programme and Bike Buddies, help refugees to integrate into their new communities further with access to bike mechanic training and local cyclists who can show them around the area.
The Bike Project has donated over 5,000 bikes so far, and we selected them as our beneficiary charity in last year’s “Giving B(l)ack Friday”, donating 5% of our sales revenue from the weekend directly to The Bike Project. Our donation was enough to cover 20 cycling safety kits, eight kids’ bikes or twenty adult bikes and we are looking forward to continuing to support them in the future.
By the way, The Bike Project also sell refurbished bikes to help fund the donation side of things...and they might just be one of the only places with bikes still available in 2020! Just head over to their website to check them out (or join the likes of Louis Theroux by buying one).
