Bath charity Share and Repair is today, Thursday 22nd April, celebrating its fourth birthday and has introduced a new cargo bike to help it reach more areas of the city.
Members of the charity will take the new bike for a circuit of the city, complete with a birthday banner, party hats and a giant bow.
The cargo bike, paid for by local supporters with match funding from Bath and North East Somerset Council and the LocalGiving platform, will allow the charity to enhance its repair and lending services.
Founder and organiser, Lorna Montgomery, said: “We tried out using a borrowed cargo bike during lockdown and had a fantastic response from the public.
“It proved to be a lifeline for those who were shielding, because we could collect, fix and return a much-needed kitchen item like a broken kettle. Or drop off and pick up a projector for a lockdown movie night, a sewing machine to keep busy or a power tool for essential DIY.
“Having the bike will reduce car journeys into the city and the struggle to find parking. We hope it will make borrowing and fixing just as easy as ordering something new from a big website, but with much less impact on the planet.
“We are so grateful to everyone who responded to our appeal last autumn, and to BANES Council and LocalGiving for matching the donations made.
“It is the best birthday present for our young and energetic charity – we know it will make a big difference to our work and those we work with.
“We’ve been trialling the new bike over the past few weeks, and it always turns heads. That’s before it had the big birthday banner, bow and party hats, so we are really looking forward to taking it out today around the city to celebrate our anniversary! I’m sure it will raise a few smiles wherever we go!”
Share and Repair have invited the public to join in the birthday fun by spotting the bike around the city and sharing a picture on social media with the hashtag #ShareBike for the chance to win a free loan from their party and event selection.