47 abandoned bikes given to local charity

Have you seen these labels on bikes around campus? Ever wondered where the bikes go when they are removed?

Well, the University of Nottingham Security Team, Ucycle and the Sustainability Team work in partnership with local charity Framework and their Bike Club. 

Abandoned bikes on campus are labelled and left in place for approximately 1 month. After this, if the bikes have not been claimed, the bikes are removed, freeing up space for other cyclists to use, and stored by Security for a further 2 months, before they are donated to Framework.

Framework is a registered charity and housing association that exists to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness, they aim to change and save lives in three main ways:

• By preventing homelessness
• By helping people who are homeless
• By helping people to live independent lives

One of the ways that Framework changes lives is by running the Bike Club; this enables Framework users and members of the local community to get involved with bike maintenance. The level of involvement is down to the individual and can range from simply taking a general interest in cycling to getting an introduction to the basics of bicycle repair. 

It also offers those who are more adventurous to progress to the finer art of fault diagnosis, complex repairs and even completely rebuilding bikes from bare frames. These are then sold to members of the public. 

The Bike Club, which is Lottery funded, provides a positive experience of a structured routine, it can also help to improve confidence and self-esteem, it is an opportunity to learn new skills and acts as a route back to employment. All bike parts come from donations made by members of the local community, landlords and other local organisations such as universities. Wherever possible donated bikes are saved, refurbished and passed on to a new owner. Bikes which are past the point of saving are stripped of their parts which go on to help other bikes return to action.

Adam Batty, Ucycle Project officer, who has been involved with Framework's Bike Club commented, “bike recycling is a great way to reduce waste, keep bike parking spaces tidy and ensure cheap and well maintained bikes are readily available for those who need them. It’s brilliant to see the University and other organisations making the most of all the perfectly good bikes and helping get them to another grateful owner. If you want to see the scheme in action or get yourself a cheap bike come down to the Bike Club 2nd hand bike sale at the George Green quad on the 26th of March from 11am-2pm.”

During the latest round of bike labelling, 24 bikes have been removed from University Park campus, whilst a total of 23 bikes were removed from the Sutton Bonington Campus. All of these bikes were labelled in early November and will be delivered to Framework in early February. (The last time bikes were removed from Sutton Bonington Campus was January 2012, when 18 bikes were removed). In total the University will be donating 47 bikes to this very worthy cause. 

So remember, if you see a purple label on the bike of someone you know, tell them where it is and then get them to contact Security on 0115 951 3013 or security@nottingham.ac.uk. Remember: Security store the bike for 2 months after it has been removed.