HVBC News - June 2021
June 23, 2021
Dear Supporters…
Hi again! So much exciting stuff is happening. Read on to find out more…
Our first open day was held on 5th June 2021. We had a great turnout with not only participants and their parents/carers coming, but also many from the local community. A special mentions go to crew members Tyler, who caught a bus from Geeveston (and waited outside in the cool morning air for 40 minutes before we arrived); and to Seth, who rode his bike from Franklin to join us for the morning.
We even sold 2 bikes on the day, with a couple more sales resulting directly from the open day! Don’t forget - selling bikes is not our core business - we’re about mentoring and bringing out the best in young people. But, when someone is willing to shell out hard earned cash to pay for a bike that our young people have worked on, it sends some really important messages to our participants about their ability to contribute, and about their value as members of the community.
We stopped for a few short words from some of our distinguished guests - and long-term supporters - in the Hon. Julie Collins MP and Jacquie Petrusma MP. We are deeply grateful for their support and help in obtaining funding for our important work. Jacquie has worked tirelessly in the background for many years supporting the Risdon Vale Bike Collective, and now the Tasmanian Bike Collective - and that includes us here in Huonville. A special mention to Julie, who paid for free sausages for everyone!
While we’re in ‘Thank You’ mode, a big shout out to the Huon Valley Community Bank (Bendigo Bank Huonville), and to the Huonville PCYC board and staff who have made settling in so easy for us. Please, make sure you support those who support important community endeavours like ours.
OK, it’s not shiny. It’s not even new. But it most definitely is a container! It has finally arrived, hidden around behind the PCYC building, allowing us to move all of our yet-to-be restored bikes out of the workspace. It’s so roomy in the workshop now! And, it means that if you have a bike to donate (see below), we’ve got plenty of space to keep it. Thanks go to the federal government’s Stronger Communities Program for the container, through the office of the Hon Julie Collins MP.
It looks pretty basic now, but we’ll be fitting it out with another level. This will be home to our unrestored donations.
The Tasmanian Bike Collective (our overarching body), in collaboration with Storm Bay Promotions, is organising a major fundraising event for the last weekend in October. We will be holding a huge 6/12/24hr charity mountain bike race/ride at Kellevie. We’re hoping to include courses and events for all levels of riding ability, so anyone can give it a crack! More details soon - but take a look at the website k24hr.com and keep an eye out on Facebook - there will be prizes, so if you’re keen, start fundraising now!
Do you have an old bike laying around that you don’t need any more? We’re happy to repurpose it and use it in our work. You can drop it off at the PCYC during normal hours - the wonderful team at the desk know what to do - or we can come and collect bikes from you if that’s easier. Please note that we are unable to restore bikes that are very rusty… but sometimes you might be surprised! If you have any doubts, or if you have lots of bikes, snap a picture and email it to us at huonville@tasbc.com.au .
If you’re keen to help us out financially, you can now do that easily through our GiveNow page: https://www.givenow.com.au/tasbc . This is the Tasmanian Bike Collective’s page, so if you specifically want your donation to go to the Huonville Bike Collective, make sure you say so in the ‘Notes to the Organisation’ box!
Are you looking to buy a bike? We have an ever-growing range of bikes for sale at very reasonable prices to keep you and the kids rolling. Please get in touch and let us know what you’re looking for. If you’d like to come and see what we have, please contact us first and make an appointment so we can be ready to help you. And, if we don’t have exactly what you’re looking for at Huonville, we are part of the Tasmanian Bike Collective network and another site might have just what you need - we’ll bring it to Huonville for you!
New helpers! Thanks to Paul who has put his hand up to collect bikes for us from donors who are unable to deliver them; to Dane who’s joined us in the workshop; and to Peter who will join us in the workshop in August!
Sadly, sometimes volunteers’ circumstances change - that’s OK, we get it. We’re always super grateful for any support we receive. Anthony, our crazy bike guy, has departed on a month-long journey around Tassie on his bike with his dog Tess in tow (only a couple of days in and he’s already gone from Pelverata to St Marys!!).
Super special thanks go out to Elke who has had to leave the Bike Collective to fulfil other commitments. Elke, your contribution is deeply appreciated - thank you so much.
We are always on the lookout for helpers. There are so many ways you can help, from the workshop, to collecting and storing bikes between workshop days, to administrative and event-related tasks. Even little things like snacks (THANK YOU PIE-MAN!) at the after school session are of incredibly high value to a group of hungry teenagers at 3 in the afternoon! Sing out - or tell your friends who you think might be keen to help us out.
Do you know someone who you think would love to hear from us? Please forward this to them. They can then choose to sign up to our email list as well, here. Our webpage is still a work in progress, but you can connect with what’s happening through the web and facebook pages of the Tasmanian Bike Collective. Click on the links below!
Until next time… Stay safe.
Kev
November 17, 2023
Exciting news this month... People and Events!
Read more →June 21, 2023
Brewlab collaboration, Impact, The Devil's Cardigan & more!
Read more →All financial donations support our programs, helping at-risk young people achieve their potential. We are incredibly thankful for any contribution you can make.
How to give →Give now →Learn more about what the Bike Collectives focus on, our core activities and how we use bikes to make a difference in the lives of young people.
Our Bike Collective at Risdon Vale is the original and long standing program.
Since starting in 2021, Huon Valley was the first of our new Collectives.
Having kicked off in 2022, Clarence Plains is our newest Collective.
