Kids’ bikes running low at Cornwall Bicycle Project

Walk into the Cornwall Bicycle Project’s Camborne workshop right now and the racks that usually creak under the weight of donated bikes are close to bare. What is left is a small run of 12-inch frames, the smallest size the charity handles, and not much else.

The shelves are nearly empty

The Cornwall Bicycle Project CIO says both its Camborne and St Austell workshops are down to just a handful of very small 12-inch kids’ bikes, and demand from local families is outstripping what is coming through the door.

The charity is now appealing directly to the community for children’s bikes, from 12-inch right up to 26-inch, sitting unused in sheds, garages and gardens across Cornwall.

No need to call ahead

Unlike some donation drives, there is no admin to wade through first. The charity says if it is a kids’ bike, in any condition, it will be gratefully accepted at the moment, no phone call and no photo required beforehand.

Every bike handed in helps the charity keep local people cycling, refurbishing donations into affordable, accessible bicycles for the community. Any profits the workshops make go straight back into the project and the people it supports.

Derailleurs wanted too

Bikes are not the only thing on the wish list. The workshops are also short of rear and front derailleurs, the gear-shifting mechanisms that are among the first parts to wear out or get damaged, and donations of either would make a real difference to how many bikes the team can get roadworthy.

Where to drop off a bike

Donations can be taken to either workshop during opening hours:

Camborne: Unit E2, Formal Business Park, Camborne, TR14 0PY. Monday to Friday, 9am to 3.30pm.

St Austell: Unit C, St Austell Bay Business Park, Par Moor Road, PL25 3RF. Open most weeks Monday to Wednesday, but the charity asks that you call ahead on 07860 599139 before travelling.

A bike that has been sitting untouched for years in the back of a shed could be exactly what turns into a local child’s next ride to school or round to a friend’s house. The workshop team say every single donation, however small or well used, keeps the wheels turning for someone else.

📷Credit: The Cornwall Bicycle Project CIO