OK so this is a total shout-out / promo for an amazing organisation based in Tetbury, who are quietly doing some brilliant recycling and making a massive difference to the lives of kids in the Gambia at the same time.
They are called Jole Rider (www.jolerider.org), and are a combination of a bike shop, and bike recycling facility. plus other add-ons that make them even more impressive!
We came across them when trying to find a place to get rid of an unloved but still-in-good-condition bike owned by Natalie, who has flown all the way to India to avoid having to ride it this year (not really true, she equally managed to avoid riding it whilst living in UK!). Anyway, after some googling, Tim found Jole Rider, made some enquiries, and we took the bike there on Saturday.
Basically, what they do is take in good condition second-hand bikes (there is a certain spec that they have), and then ship out a container load to a project in The Gambia that they are partners with. Once in The Gambia, the local project staff distribute the bikes to children who are unable to realistically travel the distance to school on foot.
So, having been given a bike, the child can cycle to school, get there on time, be in a much better state to learn, and achieve so much more at school as a result. Brilliant!!
The partners also teach local people about bike maintenance, so that the bikes don't become discarded at the first puncture or chain breakage, and in so doing encourage and equip these people to develop their own small businesses. To that end Jole Rider also take in less-happy bikes to be stripped down and used for spares that are sent out as well, so that the newly-trained bike maintenance people have some stock to use for doing the repairs.
That programme in itself sold Jole Rider to me, but then I look on their wbesite and see that they also do Books for Africa, a Learning Development Project in The Gambia, and here in the UK they run bike maintenance courses as a stream of alternative education for young people who just don't get on very well with school.
So, three cheers for Jole Rider! and please remember them if you know anyone who is getting a new bike for Christmas and therefore will have an old one to get rid of. Definitely a better place to take the bike than to the tip!
They are called Jole Rider (www.jolerider.org), and are a combination of a bike shop, and bike recycling facility. plus other add-ons that make them even more impressive!
We came across them when trying to find a place to get rid of an unloved but still-in-good-condition bike owned by Natalie, who has flown all the way to India to avoid having to ride it this year (not really true, she equally managed to avoid riding it whilst living in UK!). Anyway, after some googling, Tim found Jole Rider, made some enquiries, and we took the bike there on Saturday.
Basically, what they do is take in good condition second-hand bikes (there is a certain spec that they have), and then ship out a container load to a project in The Gambia that they are partners with. Once in The Gambia, the local project staff distribute the bikes to children who are unable to realistically travel the distance to school on foot.
So, having been given a bike, the child can cycle to school, get there on time, be in a much better state to learn, and achieve so much more at school as a result. Brilliant!!
The partners also teach local people about bike maintenance, so that the bikes don't become discarded at the first puncture or chain breakage, and in so doing encourage and equip these people to develop their own small businesses. To that end Jole Rider also take in less-happy bikes to be stripped down and used for spares that are sent out as well, so that the newly-trained bike maintenance people have some stock to use for doing the repairs.
That programme in itself sold Jole Rider to me, but then I look on their wbesite and see that they also do Books for Africa, a Learning Development Project in The Gambia, and here in the UK they run bike maintenance courses as a stream of alternative education for young people who just don't get on very well with school.
So, three cheers for Jole Rider! and please remember them if you know anyone who is getting a new bike for Christmas and therefore will have an old one to get rid of. Definitely a better place to take the bike than to the tip!
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