carbon post

Gear up for quick fire questions with The Bike Project

Earlier this month, our colleague Ed headed down to Deptford to meet Maria, Workshop Manager at The Bike Project, for a chat about the incredible work they do. Every bike donated to our reuse and recycling centres (RRCs) is passed on to The Bike Project, where it’s lovingly refurbished and given a second life, supporting people in need across London with free, sustainable transport.

From gears to goodwill, Maria took on ten quick-fire questions (plus a bonus question) to give us a glimpse into what goes into refurbishing bikes in their workshop and the impact of every donated bike.

bikes lined up

Question 1: How many bikes have you donated so far?

"We've donated over 15,000 bikes since 2013."

donate bike

Question 2: How can I donate my bike?

"So, you can go to any of our drop off points we've got around London. The easiest way is if you to our website, you can put your postcode in and it will show you the nearest drop off point."

who benefits

Question 3: Who benefits from the bikes you refurbish?

"The refugees and asylum seekers arriving into the UK."

why are bikes important

Question 4: Why are bikes so important for people in need?

"It allows them to go to different appointments and places without having to spend any money. It also gives them a little bit more freedom and benefits for their mental health and creating a little bit more of a community."

volunteers

Question 5: What's the most memorable story you've heard from a bike recipient?

"Both, Robi and Comfort have been with us for a number of years, They came through our 'Pedal Power' project, which teaches women how to cycle. Comfort went onto become a cycling instructor and Robi also helped us out with that as well as learning mechanics!"

refurbishing a bike

Question 6: How long does it take to refurbish a donated bike?

"So, anything between half an hour if it doesn't need that much fixing or two to three hours if we're changing lots of the components and giving it a full service."

volunteer

Question 7: How many volunteers do you have as part of The Bike Project?

"We've got over 160 volunteers here."

carbon post

Question 8: What's one thing people can do today to support your work?

"You can donate a bike, you can donate money, you can volunteer for us, you can share on your socials, there's lots of projects you can get involved with."

bikes cant be fixed

Question 9: What happens to bikes that can't be fixed?

"Any bikes that cannot be done up because maybe their frame is cracked, we'll still use all the parts and put them on other bikes so nothing goes to waste!"

bike project in three words

Question 10: Describe The Bike Project in three words...

"Freedom, independence and empowerment."

bikes

Question 11: Tell us more about your refurbished bike shop and how people can buy a bike to support your work?

"Some of the bikes that we receive that are higher quality, we refurbish them so that we can sell them on our online shop for anyone to buy. You can go on there and have a look! There's always a big variety with lots of different sizes, you can either go online, we ship all over the UK, or you can come and collect and test ride from the workshop here in Deptford."

Previous Next

To find out more about The Bike Project, visit their website or find your nearest drop off point at our reuse and recycling centres, enter your postcode in our locator tool.

 

Published
3 September 2025

Bikes

Bikes that are in good condition could be sold or reused by donating to charity. To donate your bike to our charity partner…