“Bikies” the heart of the community

THE Queenscliff Men’s Shed Bicycle Group continue to be a force of positivity in the community through their philanthropic bike donation program.

For nearly six years, the Men’s Shed have collected donations of old or damaged bikes from community members and spruced them up with a high-pressure wash and a good once over, recycling and replacing parts to get them back on the road.

The “bikies” group, who meet each Tuesday and Thursday at the Queenscliffe Community House, have restored more than 400 pre-loved bikes and sent them across the world to African communities in Nambia, remote Indigenous communities in Northern Territory, refugee communities in Geelong and bushfire and flood victims on Australia’s east coast.

The group supports Cultura (formally Diversitat) by providing monetary donations to facilitate refugee camps and helmets.

Program co-ordinator Bill Hall said community members could purchase bikes from the group, with all proceeds going towards helping organisations and local schools in the community.

“Here at the Men’s Shed we are all about community and want to assist and provide for people, not just through our overseas programs but right here in Queenscliffe and the Bellarine.

“If a young boy at one of the three local schools doesn’t have a uniform or some school shoes, then we will go out and buy those things for him.

“By people purchasing the bikes, we can keep providing for local schools, Diversitat, or put the funds back into the Men’s Shed to buy parts and gear to fix the bikes.”

The “bikies” are made up of former bootmakers, sound engineers, navy chefs and dairy farmers, and have generated a reputation of strong workmanship in the community, never having had a complaint about the quality of their work.

“I like to think we do a good job, so the community trusts us,” Mr Hall said.

“Sometimes there’s as many as 16 of us here, fixing the bikes and having a chat.

“It’s a really great way to not only give back to the community, but to make some new friends and have a laugh.”

The community is invited to pick up a restored bicycle for a great price at the Queenscliffe Neighbourhood House on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9.30-11.30am.

If you’d like to drop off a bike to assist the program, bikes must be in a reasonable condition to be able to be repaired, with minimal rust and dings.