The Bike Film Festival
We’re very happy to be publicity partners with The Bicycle Film Festival in Melbourne.
Come and see us and drop in your bike, tools and helmets at the Bicycle Film Festival Community Day. We’ll be receiving bikes and selling bags - look forward to seeing you then.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29
B.est F.riends F.orever Street Party
PS Bikes and surrounds
12-5pm
Cnr Peel & Cambridge Sts Collingwood
The B.est F.riends F.orever Street Party is a family friendly day of
bicycle activities for the young and young at heart. Bring your bike and
your friends and get ready for a wheely good time.
Featuring:
Bicycles for Humanity Collection, Bunny Hop Contest, Spoke Card Making,
Musical Entertainment, Bicycle Colouring-in Competition, Food by Tiffins
and Coffee by Global Cafe Direct and… The Third Annual Bicycle Beauty
Pageant!
If you are interested in riding there, dress in your best tweed clothing
and join the Tweed Ride from the State Library to the B.est F.riends
F.orever Street Party. Meet at the State Library at 12 noon.
I think this is a terrific concept but interested as to know why you send these bikes to Africa when there are developing countries in our region who would benefit just as much from receiving donated bikes. The transport costs would be lower so essentially you may be able to send double as much for the same cost. Countries such as Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have extremely high rates of unemployment, a huge youth population with no job opportunities. They are not as poor as Zambia but certainly much worse off than Namibia. With little access to cars (outside of the ex-pat populations) you rely on a poor bus system that is often unaffordable to the young and unemployed. Bikes would make a huge difference to these countries and being in Australia we have a geographical advantage don’t you think? I am sure you guys are busy as it is but I really think it would be worthwhile looking into and if you are interested in researching the possibility I am happy to help, just email me.
Hi Danielle - Thanks for your support. In answer to your question we send the bikes to Africa at the moment because that’s where our partner organisation BEN Nambia does its work. BEN and B4H have worked in close partnership from the beginning. BEN Nambia has a great record establishing highly effective project in areas where the impact of a bike is substantial. That said - from the beginning of B4h Melbourne part of the conversation has been about how we can do something similar closer to home and we are currently talking to a number of potential partners in East Timor, Cambodia and indigenous Australia. The questions we need to answer are firstly how much impact will a bike have in these areas, secondly what is the most effective model of supplying them. The BEC bike workshop model is great in Africa but may not have the same viability in other regions. We also need to establish effective and long term relationships with the ‘in country’ partner to ensure that the projects are sustainable, on going and have a comparable impact to those being developed in Africa.
If you have to time to assist us in this - that’s great. We’re completely volunteer run so more help is always gratefully received.
Thanks again
Matt McCullough