Paul Kelly’s line, ‘from little things, big things grow’ is well applied to our Community Bicycle Workshops, our small-scale wrenching sessions have begun to sprout into something much bigger..
Three bike repair workshops have been run, the result being kids from Mutitjulu with the sufficient skill to repair their own bicycles given the opportunity and tools. Long term Rangers are saying they can’t ever remember seeing soooo many kids on bikes.
Help has come in (un-sought) from various quarters.. Mission Australia has provided the venue and spare parts, NT Police kicked in some bikes and labour, Phil and Yvonne from Penny Farthing Avanti Plus gave us a few bikes and offered to save us a box of tires and tubes, MacDonell Shire have cleaned up the BMX track, and the Bicycle Institute of South Australia have offered assistance.. All awesome.
This weekend I was in Alice Springs hoping to pick up a few BMX’s from the Recycling Centre when I ran into Mark Swindells.. Mark had heard what we’d been doing out at Mutitjulu, so when Deadly Treadlies keeled over this week he rushed in a grabbed us what ever he could. Mark handed me a big box of pedals, a box of seatposts and another of saddels before inviting me around to his house to help myself to his collecting of bicycles… and what a collection of bicycles (my vote for best backyard ever).
Mish and I grabbed five BMX’s from Mark’s yard and with the five we’d earlier picked up at the Recycling Centre, we left Alice with a Ute tray full of bikes ready for the next Community Workshop. My front yard in Yulara has begun to morph into a work-and-storage space.. Looking for a venue in the Community to set up a more permanant home for our workshops, maybe I’ll take that house in Rangerville eh?
it is a challenge then storer!
Love it Benny. Rangerville won’t know what hit it!
Much respect there Benny. Way to effect some positive, fun, non patronizing change. NICE WORK>