Earn-A-Bike, Bristol, UK
The Earn-A-Bike (EAB) initiative organizes workshops where marginalized people in need of affordable and sustainable transportation work with a mechanic to refurbish a donated bike. Since 2009, well over 1,500 bikes have been “earned” from the project, which cooperates with over 50 local organizations around Bristol. At the same time as you are provided with a perfectly functional bike, one learns the basic mechanical skills for keeping a bike running. This scheme emphasizes empowerment and self-reliance rather than simply handing out bicycles. The workshop sessions are also offered in a women-only space. The EAB workshop is available to people that are unemployed and fall into at least one of the following categories: asylum seekers or refugees; people with ongoing debilitating health problems; people with learning difficulties; people in sheltered housing; people undergoing a recovery program, and; people on probation.
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