Team volunteering day with The Bike Project
Time to read 3 min
This January, we started off the year as we intend to go on by rolling up our sleeves for a volunteering day with The Bike Project : a charity that we support through our annual 1% for the Planet commitment – this means that we have pledged to donate 1% of our annual sales to charitable organisations.
By purchasing from Universal Colours, you are contributing to this amazing charity with a worthwhile cause. Apart from The Bike Project , we also donate to The Felix Project and Action for Conservation and look forward to sharing more about these charities with you soon.
Based in the railway arches of Deptford in South-East London, alongside other locations across the country, The Bike Project collects second hand bikes, refurbishes them and donates them to refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK.
Team members Jake, Sophie, Jenny and Inge met up with the friendly crew at the charities’ bike workshop on a frosty morning to help give out bikes to some 15 people who made an appointment for the day. Thanks to the amazing support from premium cycling retailer Sigma Sports, who donated helmets, bike locks and lights for this session, the recipients could be fully and safely set up with their new bike, ready to take on the ride.
All bikes were prepared to the highest standard by The Bike Project’s mechanics and the recipients’ frame size was determined before pick-up so that they could select their favourite bike from the available fleet to suit their needs. Each of us then helped to ensure it was the right bike for them and helped them select a helmet, lock, lights and any other accessories, such as gloves and high-visibility garments.
“While standing under the railway arches in Deptford in -1 degree Celsius, one man I had the privilege of meeting shared with me that he visits the library on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for his studies. This is a 3.5-mile walk each way which takes just over an hour. This really hit me as the weather has been bitingly cold recently. To walk two hours a day, on top of other necessary errands (also on foot) is mentally and physically exhausting. He was overjoyed to receive a bike as it made getting to his studies so much more manageable and accessible.”
Speaking to Hannah from the charity, we soon learned that when someone is displaced, they are thrown into a difficult system where even the basics are not guaranteed. Refugees and people seeking asylum often face immense stress due to the lack of stable housing, financial pressure, and the trauma of their displacement. Many are forced to survive on as little as £8.86 per week from arrival in the UK and often they are situated in very remote areas, so it is hard to access essential services, run any errands or meet with people and so feelings of isolation are real. The Bike Project tackles these, and more, challenges head on by offering immediate practical and holistic support:
Bike Donations and refurbishment
Refurbishing second-hand bikes and providing them to refugees, offering them affordable, reliable transportation.Bike Buddies
Refugees are paired with volunteer cyclists, promoting social inclusion and reducing isolation.Pedal Power
Cycling lessons for refugee women build confidence, skills, and independence.-
Repair or Replace
Offering ongoing bike maintenance ensures continuous access to safe and reliable transportation.
You can read more about the difference The Bike Project has made to over 13,000 refugees in the UK already in their Impact Report
As the day came to an end, we felt the experience was highly rewarding and it made us all aware of the incredible work the charity does every day, one bike at a time.
All the bikes are ready to ride away
Inge finding out what sort of bike they would like
Sophie shows how to correctly lock up your bike
“Our time spent with The Bike Project made me realise that a bike is so much more than just a means of transportation. The independence, freedom and empowerment it gives people is simply immeasurable. With so little control they feel they have over their lives anymore, it can be the one thing that gives them hope, joy and a connection again.”
Our special thanks goes out to Hannah, Patrick, Andy, Maria and all the incredible mechanics at the Bike Project. Thank you to Sigma Sports for the donation of bicycle accessories - the session could not have happened without you.
Would you like to donate a bike or find out how else you can help?
