Re-Cycle is the 2009 Charity for Go Travel Solutions

Re-Cycle is a UK charity committed to collecting thousands of second hand bicycles and shipping them to Africa, helping to improve access to jobs, healthcare and education. To date over 30,000 bicycles have been ‘recycled’ and sent to Africa to be used by local people and communities.

Re-Cycle collect unwanted bikes from individuals and organisations such as the Royal Mail. These are reconditioned, loaded into containers and sent to several locations in Africa offering people cheap and sustainable transport as a means to minimise the agony of walking tens of miles everyday and opportunities to travel further and faster.

In Britain, millions of bikes are thrown away or lie unused in sheds, whilst many people in Africa have no access to transport of any kind. Walking can take up-to 4 hours per day (collecting water, or walking to school). The burden can cripple a family, hampering work and education opportunities. A bicycle cuts travel time to a fraction, and furthermore, they can be adapted to carry goods and passengers giving small scale farmers and traders the opportunity to reach customers further afield while also being an invaluable resource for travelling health workers coping with the AIDS epidemic.

In addition Re-Cycle’s partners in Africa distribute the bikes and also teach riders the skills to repair and maintain them. This simple, affordable transport generates wealth in developing countries, as well as saving lots of time and back-breaking work. Bicycles give families the extra time to earn, learn and enjoy life.

The support of Re-Cycle is consistent with the ethos and focus of the work for Go Travel Solutions. As a social enterprise and co-operative delivering sustainable transport services for businesses, organisations, transport operators and transport planners, there is a strong synergy with the work of Re-Cycle. As part of its commitment to the company charity, part of Go Travel Solutions profit each year will go directly to a good cause, in addition to receiving the benefit of additional fund raising activities.

Find out more about Re-Cycle and make a donation

September Update

A quick update on Re~Cycle, request for help at the BFF in London, bike raffle, crazy triathlon and more.

TRIATHLON TO AFRICA
Rob Forbes is a remarkable young man who will shortly swim, bike and run his way from Cirencester to South Africa to support England in the 2010 World Cup.  He will be raising money for Re~Cycle while he does this, and visiting some of our African partners and prospective partners.
See his site - http://www.tri4africa.co.uk

BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL (BFF)
We're again the chosen charity of the Bicycle Film Festival's London event (now 40 locations around the world).
This year the festival will be premiering in London the Re~Cycle documentary - Re~Cycle, The Journey of the Mighty Bike.
WHEN: Wednesday 23rd September to Saturday 27th September
WHERE:  The Barbican Cinema, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS.
Details on our home page - http://www.re-cycle.org

HELP NEEDED AT THE BFF, PLEASE:
- Run the valet bicycle parking
- Sell raffle tickets for posh bike
- If you can get some friends to fill a time slot with you (say 3 or 4 people), it would be easier to organise (thanks!)
- Individuals are VERY welcome!
- Kryptonite will be organising + bringing all the equipment + supplying t-shirts to wear

Times + days (to volunteer, are slots within these times!):
Thurs 24th Sept - 5:20pm - 00:15
Friday 25th Sept - 5:20pm - 23:15
Saturday 26th Sept - 12:00  - 00:15

There is also Bicycle Polo on Sunday and an after party.

VOLUNTEERS GET: free tickets to films

If you are interested please contact: rita@re-cycle.org
Press: laura@bicyclefilmfestival.com

BIKE RAFFLE
2010 Genesis Flyer singlespeed, worth £600 (winner chooses frame size) Buy tickets online <http://www.re-cycle.org/Raffle/2009> -
http://www.re-cycle.org/Raffle/2009

And we've got an older film on our web site - http://re-cycle.org/Video/First_Film

WEB HELP
You can now register online to help with the website, bottom left of the site, like editing a word document.
Drupal skilled people needed, eg. http://re-cycle.org/Working/Social_Platform

NEW WEB FEATURE - FIND BIKE REUSE PROJECTS As part of the push to make Re~Cycling your bike more simple, one of our brave volunteers has created a search facility
<http://re-cycle.org/Donate/Bike/Search>-
http://re-cycle.org/Donate/Bike/Search
This runs off a list of bike re-use projects
<http://re-cycle.org/Donate/Bike/Projects>-
http://re-cycle.org/Donate/Bike/Projects
If you know of a project anywhere in the world that's not on the map/list, please create an account (bottom left of our home page), click "create content" and upload the project.

As a 'registered user' you can also let us know if you're interested in helping set up or run a project, do a sponsored ride, etc.  Then we can have a (private) map showing where several people want to help, and we can put them in touch...

If you know someone who might be interested in being a 'virtual volunteer', doing a sponsored ride or being an African partner, please let me know.

Yorkshire 3 Peaks Walk - Robin Pointon, Managing Director, Go Travel Solutions:

Seven of us, including business partner Simon Ghent from Unity Environmental, undertook on 20th June the 26 mile stroll that is the Yorkshire 3 Peaks walk. We all succeeded in completing in less than 10 and a half hours. The weather was typical Yorkshire, a bit of everything! Despite some aches and pains, there was lots of pleasure from the event. The Yorkshire 3 Peaks are set within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, with Ribblehead viaduct of the Settle - Carlisle rail line, a central feature. The scenery is stunning and the sense of achievement is enhanced by being with others going through the same pain! What is even more satisfying is the knowledge that the pain helped to raise money for even more bicycles going into Africa through the work of Re~Cycle (www.re-cycle.org). Thank you to all those that helped to raise over £200 for this great cause.

Please see below a small gallery of images reflecting the pain and pleasure that is the Yorkshire 3 Peaks!

Yorkshire 3 Peaks Walk