The University has donated around 80 bikes abandoned across campus this year to local charities who refurbish them to either sell at affordable prices, or provide for no cost to those who most need them.

The University donates bikes to a range of organisations including Urban Cycle Centre, who seek to address the number of bikes going to landfill, and often give refurbished bikes to job-seekers and apprentices and The Bike Hive in Alexandra Park, who repair and teach the local community how to maintain bikes. The University’s Biko Bikes Store, a student-led project who offer affordable bicycle rentals and teach bicycle maintenance to students, has also received a number of bikes.

Potential abandoned bikes are tagged and then held in storage, allowing owners to come forward to reclaim them, before they are donated. These charities ensure that perfectly good bikes don’t end up in the bin and provide a form of cheap and sustainable transport to those that need it.

Lucy Mitchell, a volunteer from Refugee Aid in Chorlton, says: “Bicycles make a huge difference, helping refugees to explore, socialise and contribute in their local community. In the past 18 months we have distributed well over 200 bikes, both adult and children’s, all checked by our mechanic and supplied with helmets and locks. The donation from The University of Manchester will make a huge difference.”

At the University, cycling continues to be a popular mode of travel. By ensuring we manage the abandoned bikes effectively, it not only frees up space in the shelters and Sheffield stands but also enables us to support important community initiatives. Since 2017 the University has donated around 400 abandoned bikes to local charities.