22 November 2024

The Recirculate Project sources donated bikes from staff, business partners and the general public, renovates them in prison workshops, and locates them with NHS staff and children whose families may struggle to purchase a bike.

Recirculate is coming to Portsmouth Hospital University NHS Trust (PHU) and we are calling for your unwanted bikes!

If you have a bike you don't need anymore, please donate them to the project. A drop-off point will be set up by the East Entrance cycle store at Queen Alexandra Hospital. The cycles can be dropped off Monday 9 December to Thursday 12 December, between 9am and 4pm. If you are dropping off outside of these hours or can't get your bike to the hospital, please email qahprojects@equans.com or call 07849 091540.

The bikes will be serviced and renovated by prisoners at HMP Ford, where servicing bikes will help them gain their City & Guilds qualifications and important skills. The work experience and qualifications can improve their employment prospects on release, which reduces social isolation and the likelihood of reoffending.

Once renovated, the bikes will be offered to NHS staff at PHU who would like to cycle but may struggle to purchase a bike. Where bikes have been given away to staff in other hospitals, 60% used their bike twice a week or more, 49% used the bike to cycle to and from work and 49% reported physical and mental health benefits.

Although the focus is on adult bikes, any children's bikes that are donated will be offered to local children's charities and/or schools.

Once the bikes are repaired and ready, we will be announcing the collation process and date in January 2025.