Million Tonnes - Hills Group

Re-cycling forAfricaL-R Tony Oliver from jole rider, Cliff Carter, recycling team manager,and Les Sedgemore from jole riderMore than a thousandunwanted bikes have beencollected from householdrecycling centres (HRCs) inWiltshire and sent to helppeople in Africa.Bath-based charity jole rider has beencollecting the bikes since March fromStanton St Quintin, Melksham, Devizes,Trowbridge, Purton and Marlborough HRCs.The bikes have been taken there bymembers of the public and are put asideby Hills staff for the charity. In August jolerider collected its 1,000th bike.Mike Webster, group director – WasteSolutions, said: “We work hard to makesure that what people bring to householdrecycling centres can be reused orrecycled. Linking up with jole rider has10 intouchbeen a great way to make good use of themany bikes we receive. I am delighted thatwe have been able to help people inAfrica.”Jole rider’s mission is to change livesthrough education and its flagshipprogramme is bikes4Africa. Many Africanchildren live in remote communities, a longway from their nearest school. Withoutreliable, affordable, motorised transportthe only way these children can get toschool is to walk.So having a bicycle makes a world ofdifference for these children, and for theirfamilies and communities too.Each bike needs to meet a minimumspecification and some refurbishment iscarried out at prisons in the UK. The bikesare then shipped to The Gambia andallocated to different schools.Bike FactsThe recycling centre which hasprovided the most bikes isStanton St Quintin.Each sea container holds333 bikes.Around 9,000 bikes have beendelivered to The Gambia since2006Some bikes being ridden are over40 years oldMountain bikes or bikes with largetyres are best suited to theconditions of AfricaBikes are shipped to Africa everytwo monthsFor more information seewww.jolerider.org