Bikes@sẏd

Working together with our rangatahi towards waste minimisation

Each year at least 500 bicycles go into landfill. Southern Youth Development works with rangatahi to collect bicycles from the landfill to restore, recycle and gift them back out to people who need them. All rangatahi involved in this programme gain lifelong skills by learning how to maintain and care for a bicycle. We teach everything through learning how to use tools, maintaining and understanding the mechanisms of a bicycle.

This programme is only possible because of generous funding from the Dunedin City Council Waste Minimisation team. Whakawhetai ki a koe mo to tautoko.

What is bikes@syd and how does it work?

Bikes@syd runs an after school programme on Tuesday's during the school term. The afterschool session runs from 3:15pm until 5:00pm for 12 to 24 year olds. 

Bikes@syd also operates a Tuesday Bike grab at Te Oraka from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Here students bike up a pre-loved bike for a koha (donation). You’ll help Conan repair your bike so you learn basic care skills and can have access to the tools throughout the week at Te Oraka.

The Tuesday afternoon session focus points for rangatahi is on both hard and soft skill building, mentoring, safe tool use and workshop etiquette, but also promotes pro-social work in the community, and focuses on transport autonomy to promote cycling as a mode of transport.

This programme is part of the wider community’s efforts to reduce waste by lessening the impact on the environment as the bicycles are either revitalised or recycled into scrap metal and encourages the use of alternative transport avenues that has long lasting health benefits through exercise.

Feedback from rangatahi at the completion of restoring bicycles is predominately about the sense of accomplishment that they have recreated something new. 

Since 2018, the project had helped divert 1,100 bicycles from landfill and in 2022 alone, engaged over 130 young people.

 

Join us in this fulfilling programme that lessens the impact of waste on our environment

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are all bicycles safety checked before leaving?
Our dedicated Youth Worker for this programme is a mechanical engineer and an experienced bike enthusiast. While young people are working on the bicycles, they are supervised by our youth worker and each bicycle will be checked over and approved by our bicycle Youth Worker before being given to a member of the community. Once bicycles leave sẏd premises, they are the responsibility of the new owner.

I need a particular type of bicycle, how can I get that?
We have no guarantees of availability of any bicycle that is requested, whether that is a type of bicycle (BMX, balance bike etc.) or height. Referrals are therefore a request with no timeframe attached to them, and our team of rakatahi will do their best to target specific sizes for the referral. We can usually take around 2 weeks from referral to having the bicycle available, but there may be additional delays that are outside our control.

What happens when my children have outgrown their bicycles?
Bring them back to us and swap them out for ones in their size for free! We strongly encourage this option as this means that bicycles stay out of landfill and we have less work to do on the old bicycle to get it in usable condition for the next person. It's a win/win!

I cannot afford a bicycle, are you able to help?
Absolutely. There are a variety of ways for us to be able to do this for members of the community who are unable to purchase a bicycle for whatever reason. Get in touch with us via email bikes@syd.org.nz if you have any questions.

Do you give helmets and other safety equipment as well?
Yes, we are able to give helmets and other safety equipment thanks to generous funding from the Dunedin City Council and other supporters. 
If you would like to donate new helmets to sẏd, please let us know by emailing bikes@syd.org.nz. 

How are you funded?
Southern Youth Development is generously funded by the Dunedin City Council through the Waste Minimisation team. We also receive koha/donations from a variety of sources, particularly for our safety equipment. If you're interested in making a donation to this programme, please get in touch with us by emailing bikes@syd.org.nz.