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Windrush Bike Project welcomed almost 50 people to its facility on Corn Street, Witney, last Wednesday, for the launch of its new base, Oxford Mail reports.
The event served as a ‘thank you’ to residents and organisations who raised £9,000 to help the initiative move from Cogges Manor Farm to the town centre workshop. The scheme helps volunteers gain skills and confidence through rescuing and refurbishing abandoned bikes.
Volunteers are given the opportunity to refurbish donated bikes alongside trained mechanics, and patched-up cycles are either given to those in need or sold to keep the workshop running. Its director, Kath Cochrane, who began teaching children to ride in 2015, revealed the scheme was ‘on the right track’.
In August, the project moved into the new base and set up a crowdfunding page with a target of £3,000, which would contribute towards running costs. This was raised within a month, while the rest of the total came from organisations including Witney Town Council, the Tesco Bags for Life Scheme, and charities the Jim Cousins Trust and Bartlett Taylor Trust. County councillor for Witney North and East, Suzanne Bartington, also pledged part of her Councillor Priority Fund.
