Southern Highlands Bikes4Life volunteers needed
Australian not-for-profit organisation Bikes 4 Life is calling on volunteers from across the Shire to help the local branch restore pushbikes for needy communities.
The Southern Highlands branch of Bikes 4 Life operate from Council’s Resource Recovery Centre (RRC) where they are led by the Shire’s 2019 Australia Day Citizen of the Year, Hans Radowitz.
“The generosity of our Southern Highlands residents is staggering,” he said. “Since starting in 2010 we’ve restored almost 2,500 bikes donated from across the Shire.”
Once repaired and refurbished the bicycles are shipped to impoverished communities around the world including remote Indigenous Australian communities.
The bikes are donated to health care professionals, education workers and school students to assist in covering distances which would normally be travelled by foot.
“We like to think that the work we do is helping replace the cycle of poverty with a cycle of hope,” Hans said.
But the generosity of our Shire’s residents is causing an unexpected but welcome problem.
“We can’t keep up with demand,” Hans said. “We’re receiving more bikes than our small band of volunteers can fix.”
“We’d love a few more hands on deck to help repair these donated and discarded bikes.”
The Southern Highlands Bikes 4 Life team meets every Wednesday morning for a few hours onsite at the Moss Vale Resource Recovery Centre.
Volunteers are needed for bike repairs, stripping for spare parts and stacking the refurbished bicycles into shipping containers before they make their way to their new homes.
“Ideally a bit of mechanical knowledge of push bikes would be helpful but it’s not essential,” Hans added. “We’re more than happy to teach newcomers.”
Bikes 4 Life is a registered charity and incorporated association operated entirely by volunteers. For more information visit www.bikes4life.com.au.
For volunteering enquiries email the Bikes 4 Life Sydney South Manager at venetia@bikes4life.com.au or phone 0403 073 643.
Bicycles and wheelchairs can be dropped off free-of-charge at the Resource Recovery Centre during normal business hours.
Wingecarribee Shire Council’s Resource Recovery Centre is located at 177 Berrima Road, Moss Vale.