The inaugural Lighthouse Youth Projects Bike Drive hosted in conjunction with City of Port Adelaide Enfield and City of Charles Sturt a huge success.
Day to day Lighthouse Youth Projects works with over 100 at-risk youth across South Australia and Tasmania. Bikes are integral to work we do with ‘mentoring through bikes’ being our guiding principle. We are also hugely aware of the value of bikes to people and how that value takes on many different forms depending on the individual.
The idea of the bike drive was to create a space where people could come and donate bikes they loved, but no longer needed so they could have a meaningful new home or just make sure that those that couldn’t be ridden again we’re properly recycled.
Late last week the crew from Lighthouse Youth Projects camped out at the Beverly resource centre to accept donations of bikes, running or otherwise, as part of National Recycling Week.
We could never have anticipated the response we received. Over 400 bikes rolled up to our collection station with people travelling from as far as Jamestown to donate. Our staff kept a keen eye on what was coming through the gate and made sure that what could be put to good use again was set aside, with the remainder sorted into recycling.
The 2020 Bike Drive means that Lighthouse Youth Projects now has upwards of 100 bikes that we can repair and service as part of our mentoring activities and also provide bikes to our program participants w,aren’t in a position to purchase one.
As an initiative it has well and truly exceeded our goals, but also filled our hearts knowing that so many people want to keep on creating a better place for those less fortunate.