The Brick Reuse project encompasses ‘Gearing Up’ – a bike retail and maintenance interest company which receives bicycles that have been donated by members of the public and then refurbish and fully service them to be redistributed to social organisations, Bikeability workshops, local schools and charities such as Everton in the Community.

The Brick’s latest gesture to Everton in the Community will see the charity gift the children’s bikes to pupils aged between five and nine years from Gwladys Street Primary and Nursery School and Arnot St. Mary Church of England Primary School.

Ryan O’Hanlon, Blue Family Coordinator at Everton in the Community said:

“We’re so lucky to receive these bikes from the team at The Brick, which will be gifted to children in the local area. There’s a lot of families within the Liverpool 4 community that ordinarily wouldn’t have been able to afford or have access to bikes, so it’s fantastic to see them being given a second lease of life and put to good use.”

Gordon MacDonald, Reuse Manager at The Brick commented:

“We predominantly deliver solutions to address homelessness and poverty, with our work split into several different projects. Under Brick Reuse we support a number of charities and organisations across the North West with bike supplies through Gearing Up, which is all about making cycling accessible and affordable for all. Brand-new bikes can be expensive, so we’re delighted to build on our partnership with Everton in the Community by donating these pre-loved children’s bicycles to them for local kids within the area.”

urthermore, Gearing Up also provide bike service workshops, bike maintenance courses, free-to-access cycling initiatives and sell affordable bikes, with all profits donated back to The Brick. The aim of Brick Reuse is to divert unwanted high-quality goods, including bikes, from landfill to at-risk families and individuals; subsequently raising living standards and improving community wellbeing.

The Brick has been working with the charity since this spring supporting its Blue Base Pantry – a member-run initiative that aims to tackle poverty in all its forms by providing access to discounted food and other key wraparound services – by providing donations of surplus goods including essential household items and toiletries through their distribution revolution project, ‘Brick by Brick’.

The pantry receives thousands of pounds worth of products from The Brick each month that would have otherwise been recycled or disposed of, donated to them by various well-known organisations including Unilever, Proctor and Gamble and Amazon.

Commenting on The Brick’s support for the Blue Base Pantry to date, Ryan added:

“It’s great that these surplus products are being used and not going to landfill. This partnership has been a great addition to the Pantry’s offering, and we’ve found that providing personal care products and toiletries is just as important as giving access to discounted food, especially in areas like Liverpool 4 – which is one of the most socially deprived wards in the UK.”