Come learn the art of bike packing

JAMIE Chan and Stephen Cox, co-founders of Bikes for Humanity Regional Victoria, are men with a mission.

Between them and their volunteers they have collected over 300 pre-loved bicycles to send to Cambodia.

“We have triaged and repaired all the bikes and now just need help to get them into the shipping container,” Mr Chan said. “They will be distributed to families in Cambodia to help improve their access to health care, education, social services where transport is a major barrier.

“The container itself has been also been set up for future use overseas as a bike repair facility.”

Mr Chan co-founded the Ballarat branch of Bikes for Humanity, B4H, in June after having volunteered with the Melbourne group for almost two years.

On Saturday, 5 October they are hoping the community will get involved with the B4H bike packing day.

“We will show people how to help prepare the bikes for transportation plus we will have a barbeque and will be selling raffle tickets for some much-needed fund raising,” Mr Chan said.

For this shipment, B4H has partnered with Rode RAGE, Ride Against Greenhouse Emissions, who are adding playground equipment and books to the container.

A group from Rode RAGE will arrive in Cambodia in January to organise and install their donation.

“Alstom have been fantastic providing us with storage of the container and other Ballarat businesses had generously donated wonderful prizes for the raffle,” he said. “As Alstom is a secure site anyone who would like to help out needs to register via email.”

The B4H packing day is at Alstom, 600 Creswick Road Ballarat on Saturday, 5 October from 9am to 4pm.

Register attendance at [email protected], to purchase raffle tickets and for further information go to b4hregvic.wordpress.com. Raffle prize winners will be drawn on Saturday, 19 October at 11pm.