Bikes for Schools was established in the first lockdown in 2020 by a small group of Chislehurst parents. They were concerned at the proposal the government published to abolish free bus travel for under 18’s in London, feeling that this may unfairly disadvantage lower income families and so decided to try and come up with a way to address this. At the same time, some of their children needed new bikes which led the team to think about a circular economy around children’s bikes and scooters.
Informal research in the local community indicated that there were, indeed, plenty of unused bikes and scooters sitting in sheds/garages and so Bikes for Schools was born!
Currently, families who are in receipt of free school meals can apply for a bike or scooter for their child. There is no cost to the family for the loan, which comes with a safety kit so that the bikes/scooters can be used straight away. Applications are made through schools and, after many months of hard work, we had our first fitting sessions at Red Hill Primary School in May. We would welcome local volunteers to help us reach out to as many schools as possible.
We are immensely grateful for all the love and support the initiative has received so far. A local Chislehurst resident, Kevin, is currently undertaking an incredible cycling challenge to raise money for our charity – cycling around145 whisky distilleries in Scotland covering over 4,700km and climbing 40,000m in 46 days! You can follow his journey on Twitter @UisgeBicycle and donate at
