bikes4barnardos - A Charity Initiative

-Chris-

I thought up the bikes4barnardos idea a couple of weeks ago.

I had to put it on pause until I'd met with Barnardos and got their blessing. Now that I have their support and I have most of the infrastructure in place I want to get it rolling properly.

At the moment, bikes4barnardos is me and a few mates, trying to make a bit of a difference, and the first thing we need to do is get a couple of bikes donated so we can launch the initiative.

Here's the low down:

Introduction/The Mission

The concept is simple.

All across the country there are bicycles lying idle and unloved; hidden from sight in a cobweb filled shed, sitting in plain view in an overcrowded garage, maybe even huddled under a tarpaulin in the back garden.
Maybe they were bought in a fit of "this year I'm going to cycle to work and get healthy", maybe they belonged to the kids who have since outgrown them.
The truth is that the owners of these bikes would like to get rid of them and free up some space (or to rid themselves of the constant reminder of another lapsed New Year's resolution...), but they don't do anything about it because:
a) who on earth would want my 10 year old bike?
b) I'm not sure if it even works anymore
c) it's worth more to me than the €50 I'd get for it in Buy & Sell (and who wants the hassle anyway...)

That's where bikes4barnardos comes in!

bikes4barnardos will take donated bikes, fix them up, sell them to a new owner and donate all profits to Barnardos.

If you have a bike that you no longer need, and if you'd like the opportunity to help the most vulnerable people in society, contact us today. bikes4barnardos have volunteer bike mechanics and cycling enthusiasts who will service and repair your bike as necessary, getting it ready for its new owner. bikes4barnardos will then sell the bikes on Adverts.ie and will donate all profits to Barnardos.


If you are considering donating a bike, please ensure it's in decent condition. It doesn't need to be perfect by any means, but it shouldn't be crashed and definitely not fit for a skip . When you contact us about donating your bike we can discuss collection/delivery details.
Obviously the better condition it is, and the less money we have to spend on it, the more money will go to Barnardos, but bikes of all standards are welcome.


If you are considering buying a bikes4barnardos bike, make sure to "Like" our Facebook page, and we'll keep you up to date with what we have for sale at any time.
Cycling is getting more and more popular - cycle lanes are becoming more prevalent, commuting is quicker and safer, cycling will benefit your health and feed your soul - you too can get back on two wheels while helping a very worthy cause.

All bikes4barnardos bikes will be assessed and serviced by our experienced bike mechanics; any repairs required will be made, gears adjusted, brakes tested etc. Our volunteers are cycling enthusiasts and they see this as an excellent chance to promote and encourage cycling as a sport & pastime, while donating their time for the welfare of children.
The bikes will be in tip-top shape and ready to roll. We'll even brand them with bikes4barnardos decals so everyone knows why you're smiling so much as you push those pedals!

Unfortunately due to the nature of the enterprise, bikes4barnardos bikes will not come with a warranty, but we'll be as fair as we can if anything does break or bend .


This is simple:
Rather than fishing in your pocket for spare change or fretting that you'd do more for charity if you had the time, you can donate a bike that you don't use or want, and bikes4barnardos will convert that bike to cash.
Rather than kicking yourself for not doing more exercise, or stressing out in the car in traffic on the way to work, you can buy yourself a new bike and help to make sure no child gets left behind.
bikes4barnardos will source all their components in Ireland, supporting local businesses.
bikes4barnardos will make the cast-iron promise that, other than the cost of the parts required for repair & prep of the bikes, all proceeds will go directly to Barnardos.


If you would like to find out more about what Barnardos do, please visit them at http://www.barnardos.ie/what_we_do/overview.html and you too will see why we're so passionate about helping this fantastic cause.

Thanks!

The bikes4barnardos team

So why am I posting this here?

First, it'd be nice to get a few more fans on the social networks so that what we do gets some eyeballs and some feedback on what we do.

Friend us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bikes4barnardos

If you're on any of these services, follow us here too:
http://bikes4barnardos.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/bikes4barnardos
http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes4barnardos/
http://picasaweb.google.com/bikes4barnardos
http://www.youtube.com/user/bikes4barnardos
http://bikes4barnardos.posterous.com/

Pass the links around to your contacts too - the more supporters we have, the better.

I'm not looking to do any kind of linkspamming (or whatever) with these links, so mods please snip or insert spaces (or whatever) as appropriate.


Second, it'd be great to get some feedback or opinions on what we're doing or how we're doing it. I'm sure there are a million things I haven't thought of that could make this more efficient or more "profitable" for Barnardos.


Third, obviously the lifeblood of this initiative is generosity. If you know of anyone who has a bike they could donate, or if you have one yourself, make sure we're made aware of it. If you have any ideas or skills you can volunteer, the same applies .

DirkVoodoo

No bikes to donate but seeing as I am unemployed at the moment and I can literally feel my brain degrading by the day, I would like to offer my (limited) skills to the cause. I have basic mechanical skills and know my way around a bike.

Anything I can do to rid myself of boredom and help a charity in the process

Beasty

I think it's a great idea Chris. As an additional suggestion, I presume you would be happy to take new or good condition spares - I have quite a bit of stuff bought for a bike I only use on a turbo nowadays - things like brand new cassettes I would never get round to using, and other gear I have replaced on bikes as soon as I got them (such as saddles) - I'd be more than happy to donate them to such a charitable cause.

-Chris-

Cheers DV!! I reckon I'll take you up on that!

I'll PM me contact details.

Now, all we need are some bikes.... :D

-Chris-

Beasty wrote: »

I think it's a great idea Chris. As an additional suggestion, I presume you would be happy to take new or good condition spares - I have quite a bit of stuff bought for a bike I only use on a turbo nowadays - things like brand new cassettes I would never get round to using, and other gear I have replaced on bikes as soon as I got them (such as saddles) - I'd be more than happy to donate them to such a charitable cause.

Absolutely Beasty, I've been a big benefactor of the "hand me down" social aspect of cycling (I don't think I paid for 80% of my current hacker), and I'd appreciate any spare bits that are around.

Let me know what you have and how to get it, I'll pick it up post-haste!

Highway_To_Hell

Great Initiative, and as my 9 year old just got a new bike his old one is available. Its in good nick as it was stored in a garage and never taken out in the rain. it is a Raleigh Hot Rod his twin sisters bike will also be available after santa pays her a visit, its a Raleigh Krush

Let me know how to organise delivery/collection

Blowfish

-Chris- wrote: »

Second, it'd be great to get some feedback or opinions on what we're doing or how we're doing it. I'm sure there are a million things I haven't thought of that could make this more efficient or more "profitable" for Barnardos.

Well I've an idea that kind of springs out of my need.

Long story short, a few weeks back I spotted an abandoned bike near my house on the commute home (a 1982 Raleigh Clubman in fact). A day or two later, the 'wonderful' locals decided it would be fun to impale it on top of a 6 foot high cast iron fence. There it sat, lonely and alone for the next couple of weeks. Last week on one of the days when it was bucketing down, I figured enough was enough. If it hadn't been claimed by now it wasn't ever going to be, so I rescued it. It needs a bit of work, but is definitely salvageable.

Anyways, my only other functioning bike at the minute is my Focus Cayo, so the plan was to fix the rescued one up and use it as a runabout. While I'm generally decent enough at general maintenance, I have no idea even where to start when it comes to repairing a bike that's older than I am.

Hows about I toddle down to you lot one afternoon and you can help me fix it up? I'll pay whatever the going rate is for the repairs/service, bring whatever spare stuff I have lying around and muck in myself so I can learn a thing or two.

-Chris-

Highway_To_Hell wrote: »

Great Initiative, and as my 9 year old just got a new bike his old one is available. Its in good nick as it was stored in a garage and never taken out in the rain. it is a Raleigh Hot Rod his twin sisters bike will also be available after santa pays her a visit, its a Raleigh Krush

Let me know how to organise delivery/collection

That's brilliant, thanks for your generosity. PM sent!

-Chris-

Blowfish wrote: »

Well I've an idea that kind of springs out of my need.

Long story short, a few weeks back I spotted an abandoned bike near my house on the commute home (a 1982 Raleigh Clubman in fact). A day or two later, the 'wonderful' locals decided it would be fun to impale it on top of a 6 foot high cast iron fence. There it sat, lonely and alone for the next couple of weeks. Last week on one of the days when it was bucketing down, I figured enough was enough. If it hadn't been claimed by now it wasn't ever going to be, so I rescued it. It needs a bit of work, but is definitely salvageable.

Anyways, my only other functioning bike at the minute is my Focus Cayo, so the plan was to fix the rescued one up and use it as a runabout. While I'm generally decent enough at general maintenance, I have no idea even where to start when it comes to repairing a bike that's older than I am.

Hows about I toddle down to you lot one afternoon and you can help me fix it up? I'll pay whatever the going rate is for the repairs/service, bring whatever spare stuff I have lying around and muck in myself so I can learn a thing or two.

I think that sounds fine to me. I want to get to a stage where I have 3 or 4 bikes donated and ready for reconditioning before I have people 'round my house to give me a hand (or whatever way it ends up working). I'll PM you when we're at that stage, or keep an eye out here because I may forget , and you can join us.
Sounds like a fair idea - a donation in return for a bit of help!

Do me a favour though, can you take a couple of pics of the bike as it is at the moment? Maybe even take a pic of the bike where it was when it was abandoned if that's not too much hassle.
I'd love to document the "story of breathing new life into a bike" for the Flickr feed or whatever.

Cheers!!

-Chris-

Also, I'd love anyone's thoughts on this question too:

I've been concerned that bikes4barnardos could be used for "laundering" stolen bikes. As such I've written some basic disclaimers for people donating or buying a bike in order to protect Barnardos.

If anyone has any ideas of how to check the background of a bike before we repair it and put it up for sale, can you let me know? Is there a central Garda office who looks after them?
I'd hate to find out I've sold a bike that belongs to someone else, and I also don't like the idea that I'd spend money on reconditioning a bike and then have someone spot it on Adverts and say "hey that's my bike, give it back to me".

I hate bike thieves, and the thought of facilitating them would drive me nuts!

Beasty

But if you're only taking donated bikes, there is no chance a thief will be giving them away.

I guess the main question may be about abandoned bikes that may have been stolen previously

100Suns

Great initiative Chris. There may be some potential in sourcing 'abandoned' bikes. Many bikes are left behind in apartment basements when owners emigrate, move on etc. and sit for years before being disposed of. It may be worth considering contacting a few of the bigger Management Companies in the City to ascertain how they handle this and how they might be able to help the cause.

Good luck with it.

-Chris-

Beasty wrote: »

But if you're only taking donated bikes, there is no chance a thief will be giving them away.

I guess the main question may be about abandoned bikes that may have been stolen previously

I'd also worry about someone stealing a bike, donating it to bikes4barnardos, and then buying it off us for €150. All of a sudden they're riding someone else's bike and they have a papertrail to say they bought it fair and square.

Also, I'd be worried about past owners too. I'd recognise either of my bikes a mile away, and if I saw someone else cycling one of them I wouldn't be long taking it back in a very decisive manner.
I'd hate for someone to buy a bike from us and then get knocked off that bike and be accused of being a thief.

-Chris-

100Suns wrote: »

Great initiative Chris. There may be some potential in sourcing 'abandoned' bikes. Many bikes are left behind in apartment basements when owners emigrate, move on etc. and sit for years before being disposed of. It may be worth considering contacting a few of the bigger Management Companies in the City to ascertain how they handle this and how they might be able to help the cause.

Good luck with it.

That's some good thinking! I wonder if those bikes are normally skipped or dropped at a local Garda station.

trek climber

Chris,

Can I presume that you will take all types of bikes ie. kids,ladies, hybrids and can I presume that you are based in Dublin ?

-Chris-

trek climber wrote: »

Chris,

Can I presume that you will take all types of bikes ie. kids,ladies, hybrids and can I presume that you are based in Dublin ?

I am based in Dublin and my intention was to get it running in Dublin to iron out the kinks before attempting to roll it out around the country.
If I can work out a way of stretching our reach farther, faster, I'll cover as much area as possible.

With regard to bikes, it's all about what will sell and sell relatively quickly. If I can service it, scrub it up and sell it (whether to a serious cyclist or to a student who doesn't want something that'll get stolen), I'll do it.

If I can flip it for a profit, then Barnardos will get the benefit.

Let me know what you have and where and I'll see what can be done. PM me if that's more comfortable than posting on-thread.

remus808

I think you've been beaten to the punch

www.rothar.ie

-Chris-

I thought they were more about recycling bikes (pun not intended) in order to promote cycling and a bit of a "green agenda", whereas we're looking to raise money for Barnardos and we're looking to do this through an area that we're interested/experienced in - repairing bikes.

Semantics probably, but I hope there'll never be a stage where someone who wants to use their free time to improve someone life says "ah, someone else is already doing it, I won't bother".

Beasty

A lot of us on here are aware of rothar. As -Chris- says, they are slightly different in their objectives - they seem to me to be more of a co-operative operation, creating local employment with an environmental "mission". AFAIK they are not linked to a specific charity.

Regardless of this however there is surely room for more than one of these types of operations. Stating "you've been beating to the punch" is like saying there's only room for one bike shop in Dublin!

ciarsciars

Maybe contact the gardai with regard to them donating some/all of the bikes they sell in their annual auction? I'm not sure what they currently do with the money they receive from the auction, maybe it's given to charity already but you could argue the case that, by fixing up the bikes before selling them, you will raise more money for charity.

barrabus

the under ground car park in Smithfield was doing a clean up of abandoned bikes.
It could be worth contacting them . PM and I ll see if I can get the number.

-Chris-

ciarsciars wrote: »

Maybe contact the gardai with regard to them donating some/all of the bikes they sell in their annual auction?

barrabus wrote: »

the under ground car park in Smithfield was doing a clean up of abandoned bikes.

Do you know what the quality of these bikes are at all? While it's important to investigate all avenues I don't want to be stuck with some bikes that should be skipped.

What kind of nick do you think they're in?

The tax man

barrabus wrote: »

the under ground car park in Smithfield was doing a clean up of abandoned bikes.

In my line of work I get access to several under ground car parks and the amount of bikes in racks just caked in dust that have obviously been abandoned by their owners is unreal. Most if not all look in perfect running order bar a quick shot of air into the tyres and a good cleaning.

I'd say some sort of approach to management companies might pay off over time.

barrabus

-Chris- wrote: »

Do you know what the quality of these bikes are at all? While it's important to investigate all avenues I don't want to be stuck with some bikes that should be skipped.

What kind of nick do you think they're in?

I would say there is a mixed bunch some fine some not so fine, there was a note up to contact the concierge if your bike had been unmoved for a period and had been stickered / marked for removal.

I am sure if you contact the people below they can give you a heads up..
http://www.transportfordublin.ie/parking/smithfield-carpark/


I think worth investigating ... maybe possible to just take the good and leave the rest???

foray

Great idea. This will make a huge difference to all involved. Best of luck with it and if you decide to spread it out throughout the country in time I am based in the South-West and would only be delighted to help out. I read recently where this type of scheme is done in England and bikes sent to Gambia and its working greatly. So good on you and Barnardo's must be delighted!!

Beasty

De-stickied

Good luck with this -Chris-. We'll aim at putting a link to this thread when we get round to pulling together a list of popular/important threads in the FAQs

-Chris-

Thanks for the support from the community, and thanks to yourself and Highway_To_Hell for your generosity.

The pressure's really on now!! :D

BostonB

You're in a completely different part of the city to Rothar. So I can't see theres any conflict IMO.