Cycle-re-Cycle donation point
Published
Thursday 5 June, 2025
Updated
Thursday 5 June, 2025
It is now easier than ever to donate to the Swale Cycle-re-Cycle scheme and give the gift of affordable transport, while helping prisoners through their rehabilitation journey.
Swale Borough Council’s scheme sees HMP Swaleside inmates refurbish unwanted bicycles - upskilling themselves and taking positive steps towards rehabilitation - whilst saving bikes from the tip.
The scheme also provides Swale residents with affordable, environmentally friendly transportation, that helps them keep active and healthy.
Looking to grow the operation, the council has opened a new donation point for people to drop-off their unwanted bicycles, making donating to the scheme more accessible across the borough.
There is now a donation point at the Faversham Household Waste Recycling Centre, in addition to the one already open at the Sheerness Household Waste Recycling centre.
More than three hundred bikes have been refurbished and sold on through local community groups for just £10 each, making the scheme self-funding and sustainable.
The council funded the initial supply of bike parts and workshop consumables, while Canterbury Bike Project trained an instructor to deliver the City & Guilds qualification at the prison.
If you have a roadworthy bike – two wheels and two brakes - you’d like to donate, drop it off at one of the donation points, along with new or good condition used parts.
Find out more about the Cycle-re-Cycle scheme here.
Cllr Dolley Wooster, chair of the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee, said:
“Our Cycle-re-Cycle scheme has been a massive success so far, helping both prisoners and residents while keeping bikes out of the tip.
“Thanks to the incredible support from Swale residents we are now looking to expand the scheme, and with this new drop-off point it will be more accessible to everyone in Swale.
“If you would like to help, please donate your unwanted bikes at one of these drop-off points, or if you are looking for an affordable bike come along to our sale day in Faversham next week!
“And of course, a big thank you to all our partners who have supported this initiative and have helped make it such a success.”
