Give a Bike Wollongong

'Give a Bike Wollongong' is a volunteer organisation focused on providing bikes to those who need them most in the Wollongong community. We are collecting unwanted bikes, either through donations or from the street, and are repairing them. 'Give a Bike Wollongong' is committed to protecting our environment by reusing, repairing and recycling bikes.

We started providing bikes to the Red Cross in Wollongong in April 2020 and continued through the year, with 40 bikes donated to refugees and their families, as part of the Humanitarian Settlement Program. In February 2021, we started to collaborate with the Australian International Students of Australia (AISA) association and gave 30 bikes to international students at the University of Wollongong. We will continue to develop this program through the year and beyond.

With Ride Nation, we gave 20 bikes to Albion Park Rail Public School to create a bike library, for a 'Bikes for Schools' program starting in 2021. We are working closely with the UOW Cycling Club, to develop 'Give a Bike Wollongong' at the University of Wollongong and are in the process of setting up a shared and permanent space on campus.

We are looking for new volunteers, either students, staff or community members, to come and help us repair bikes in a safe and collaborative environment. Our volunteers will be involved in the promotion and running of our initiatives, from collecting or repairing bikes, to communication and marketing activities. Throughout the year, we are planning to run several workshops, to allow members of the UOW Cycling Club to learn basic bike maintenance skills.