This winter, Recyke y’bike has partnered with Heaton Perk (103-105 Heaton Park Road, NE6 5NR) and Resoland (128 Shields Road, NE6 1DS) to offer free repair cafes between November 2023 and April 2024. This means that on the first and third Tuesday mornings of the month, people can walk into these cafes, order a coffee and snack and get a complimentary free basic service for their bikes, including brakes, gears, grips and puncture repair.
With the cost-of-living crisis exacerbating the already strained economic situation of families in the East End of Newcastle and 34% of people in the North-East reported to be more worried about travel costs than their mortgages, it is important to give people other transport options such as cycling. It is equally important to give people the knowledge and means to cycle safely. As a charity specialised in refurbishing and servicing bikes, staff at Recyke y’bike have seen many cases of people not servicing their bikes regularly or waiting until it’s too late as their bikes fall into disrepair. This is what led them and the partnering cafes to step in and offer practical solutions. With support from the Newcastle East High Street programme, funded by the UK government through the UK shared prosperity fund with the North of Tyne Combined Authority, two mechanics from Recyke y’bike will be spending a total of 48hrs on free bike repairs this winter.
Repair café’s will be hosted at Heaton Perk on November 7th, December 5th, January 9th, February 6th, March 5th and April 2nd, between 9:30am and 11:30am, and at Restoland on November 21st, December 19th, January 23rd, February 20th, March 19th and April 16th between 10am ans 12:00. Bring you own bike in, get yourself a hot drink and leave the cafes with a safe to ride bike!
