Hello everyone. On March 1 I'm celebrating one of those birthdays with a zero at the end. A half century, in fact. Yes, I know.  

Anyway, it seemed like a good time for a bicycle-themed fundraiser. So this is what I'm raising money for, and why:

All We Can is an international development and relief organisation with its roots in the Methodist Church. One of their projects is 'Change begins with a bicycle', which provides bikes to make a difference to the lives of young people in Uganda, allowing them to get to school and work, as well as providing local employment.

This project resonates somewhat, what with riding and drawing about bikes being an important part of my life, and my connections with Uganda (Tearfund trip 2013), and the fact I attend a Methodist chapel (outside of pandemics).

If you can donate, that would be brilliant, but I fully recognise that this isn't an easy time for many, so no problem at all if not. 

Many thanks,
Dave

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Here are some paragraphs from the FAQs page on the All We Can website that say a bit more about the Change begins with a bicycle project

Where is the focus of the Change Begins with a Bicycle?

All We Can is working with a local partner organisation, FABIO (the First African Bicycle Information Organisation) in Uganda, and specifically in an area of rural Uganda around Jinja. The community we are focusing on in the Change Begins with a Bicycle resources is called Butagaya.

How long has FABIO been around / been a partner of All We Can?

FABIO has existed since 1994 as a bicycle workshop, and has steadily evolved in a fully-fledged charity that advocates for and champions the development of inclusive non-motorised transport in Uganda. FABIO seeks to use the bicycle as a means to change lives by empowering people living in poor households.
All We Can has been working with FABIO since 2018, and we are excited to see that partnership continuing to grow and flourish.

What type of bikes are FABIO supplying and where do they source bikes from?

There are two different types of bike, one that is well suited to life in the rural areas, where the bicycle needs to be more durable, and a ‘city’ style bike for people in Jinja. FABIO are also an incredibly innovative charity, and work to make bicycles with different sorts of adaptions – including bicycles for people with disabilities, cargo bikes, bicycles adapted for carrying water, and even an ambulance bicycle!

Some useful links if you'd like to know more:

You can find out more via: https://www.allwecan.org.uk/give/bike/
Frequently asked questions page: https://www.allwecan.org.uk/changebeginsfaqs/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZVLsluiSno

Justgiving blurb: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.