THE Bike Station in Edinburgh’s Causewayside has been forced to raise money to move premises after rent at their current lot was increased by 158%.
The charity bike shop refurbishes donated bikes and sells them back to the community, making cycling more accessible and reducing waste.
At the beginning of the month, The Bike Station launched a campaign to support their move, with a goal of £10,000.
Last week, it was announced that the Aviva Community Fund would provide live match funding for the cause, therefore doubling every donation.
The Bike Station has been serving communities in Edinburgh for 20 years, after parents at Sciennes Primary School set up an informal bike swap for kids who had outgrown their bikes.
A year later, the project was moved to the basement of Edinburgh’s Waverley Railway Station, hence the name The Bike Station.
Since then, the organisation has provided community programmes such as Shifting Gears, which provides free bikes to those in underserved communities, as well as cycling lessons to improve confidence and skills on the road.
They also host The Wee Bike Library, which began in 2023 and allows families to borrow children’s bikes for free and exchange them for the next size up as their kids grow.
As well as their Causewayside location, The Bike Station also operates in Gorgie and Perth.
The charity currently has new premises lined up and requires help to cover the costs of moving and setting up.
They have raised £5,008 of their £10,000 goal at the time of writing, which they aim to meet by the end of this month.
It is not the first time the Causewayside shop was met with disaster, as the site suffered a fire in 2016, which led to the destruction of many bikes and occurred just days before The Bike Station’s 14th anniversary.
They were able to rebuild and reopened in May 2017, and have been at the same site in Causewayside ever since.
Those who support the campaign, dubbed #MyBikeMyJourney, have commented on the Crowdfunder, praising the positive impact that the charity has on the community.
One supporter said: “The Bike Station is so deserving of this support – what they do for our cycling community in Edinburgh is hard to put into words!
“I hope you get all you need from this Crowdfunder and even more.”
Another commented: “The Bike Station is a vital part of giving people real choice in how they get about the city.
“It has allowed so many more people to start or keep cycling.
“Really important in ironing out inequalities around Edinburgh. Best wishes in all that you do.”
A third stated: “Both my kids’ bikes came from you, and – when they outgrew them – went back to you too.
“An essential service for Edinburgh, we can’t let it die.”
