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Charity Profile: Kingston Eco Op

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Kingston Eco-op LogoThe Kingston Eco-Op was launched in 2009 by a group of local voluntary organisations to provide supported volunteering opportunities for vulnerable adults. They work closely with other organisations to bring personal, social and community change by reducing isolation, encouraging an ethical and responsible attitude to the environment and developing skills for self-help and employment. The main focus of the Eco-op is bicycle recycling and a team of volunteers support the sale of donated bicycles. We spoke with mechanic Jonathan Rowland and asked him some questions about the bike workshop.

What role do the volunteers play at the workshop? The volunteers take in bikes and choose those that they think are worthwhile. They then clean the bikes and replace anything that has worn out from our stock of recycled parts. Once they are finished, qualified mechanics check the bike is in a roadworthy condition and the bike is put up for sale.

What type of bikes do you get donated? Our workshop has many different kinds of bikes ranging from children’s bikes up to single speed and fixed gear conversions and even the occasional classic bike and tricycle. Most of the bikes come from members of the public digging out their bikes from garages or letting us have their old bike once they upgrade.

Do you ever get bikes from other sources? We are currently negotiating donations from bigger organisations like South West Trains and the Met Police. Regular supplies of bicycles means we can not only sell more bikes, but also provide a wider range of improved services.

What are you plans for the immediate future? At a time when funding has been cut and big changes are taking place, the Eco-op is also expanding into training, servicing, sales and events. They are now starting to attend events at schools and local summer fairs. They take bikes to these events to sell so keep an eye out for us at a local event near you. Get in touch if you’d like us to come to your event. Our qualified workshop managers are already equipped to provide servicing and sales. We are also taking our skills to other people and providing training to other organisations. We hope to start providing training to members of the public in the near future.
And so we were really happy to welcome Jamie’s Stepping Stones client Andrew to our workshop for one morning a week! Andrew has been a great help and has brightened up our Friday mornings. We hope he will continue to visit for as long as he wants.
If you would like to donate a bicycle or wish to volunteer with the project, get in touch with the workshop on 020 8942 5503 or [email protected]

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