The Bike Experience (TBE)
Set up in 2011, the charity was set up by Talan Skeels-Piggins and aims to teach and advise motorcyclists who have been disabled how they can ride again, through the provision of adapted and modified motorcycles in a safe environment.
Eight years prior to setting up TBE, Talan was the victim of a horrific road traffic accident when he was knocked off his motorcycle and into the path of oncoming vehicles. He can recall the moment when the car driver asked him “Are you alright, mate?”. You’ll have to ask him what the response was! “A lot of people who have similar injuries think when you’re injured-disabled, a lot of your life opportunities are taken away from you. We give them back the choice and show them they can overcome challenges. It can change people’s lives just by using a motorcycle.” Talan is a World Champion 600cc (Paralysed Category) racer and a British alpine skier, competing in the 2010 Paralympics. |
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Blood bikers are amazing people. They give up their time and money (pay for own fuel and bike maintenance in most cases) and go out at night, in all weathers, to deliver vitally important blood and tissue samples from one hospital to another, or to and from air ambulances.
You know what? It's really crap getting out of bed in the middle of the night, but would you do it if someone in your family's life depended on it? Of course you would. Please do donate something to help them, or consider donating your time.. they also need controllers so if you don't fancy getting out on a bike (or a car) but can offer your evenings in other ways, just let them know. |
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Demon Designs Racing Team
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Demon Designs Racing started many years ago with teenagers riding dirt bikes in the local quarry. Over time, friendships were made and all soon became a tight group who sought after new adrenaline fixes.
The search has led the team to chase Land Speed Records at the UK equivalent of the Bonneville salt flats - Pendine Sands in Carmarthen, South Wales, with records in multiple classes. This is where I met the Demons and saw something that resonated with me. A passion, dedication and determination to achieve their dreams - never mind the odds. They took away SIX records that day. I know it's not the end for these guys. While chasing records the team are also collecting for charity, Martin House Children's hospice. |
Pikilily - Tanzania
Pikilily, co-founded in 2016 in Mwanza by Claire Elsdon and Khalid Maagi in response to the devastatingly high crash rate amongst bodabodas (motorcycle taxi drivers) and the tragic consequences for families and communities across Africa. Claire had experience in training microfinance workers in Malawi as well as mobile midwives in Southern Tanzania how to carry out maintenance and why it was so important to keep a roadworthy, safe motorcycle. During these experiences Claire repeatedly observed that while maintenance was an essential ingredient, a holistic approach including road safety training and quality helmet usage was what was needed to bring about real change.
Originally the plan was simply to carry out training services for local riders in essential motorcycle maintenance as well as road safety, plus when capital allowed, also to source and sell quality helmets at an affordable price. However, once the workshop was established, Claire was approached by the Medical Officer from a neighbouring District to help with two broken down eRanger motorcycle ambulances that were no longer running. This left a serious gap in his community, an issue we see repeated across Tanzania. For example typically each day, 24 Tanzanian mothers die in pregnancy and childbirth through preventable causes with a lack of reliable transportation to hospital being cited as a major reason. So, she agreed to not only refurbish the bikes but also to train five local women in all aspects of riding and maintaining the eRangers along with first aid and self defence skills, enabling us to start a sustainable, low cost and high impact twelve month pilot project primarily to bring mothers struggling in childbirth to the district hospital for life-saving care. Ultimately, there are 400 such eRangers lying in a state of disrepair across the country: Pikilily's mission is to find all 400 and bring them back into service so that no-one is left behind. It's this enterprise that I am blogging about and hope to raise awareness and keep the project going as well as visiting Mwanza at the end of May 2018. |