Charity takes hit after bikes stolen

B4H co-ordinator Jamie Brindle said $5000 worth of bikes were missing when he arrived at the site in Middle Swan on the following Monday morning at 8am.

“I had left the night before about 8pm, locked up and headed off,” he said.

“Upon arrival I noticed the shipping container had been smashed open and half the bikes inside were missing.”

Mr Brindle works with between 10 to 100 volunteers who assist the B4H program annually, donating time, labour and expertise to help re-model the bikes.

“We have been achieving some great results in the red centre,” Mr Brindle said.

“The police at Laverton said the crime rate has fallen away since the kids up there have been given bikes from the program and had activities to keep them busy.”

Mr Brindle said some of the stolen bikes were intended to help raise funds to pay for the cost of containers and freight to ship the bikes.

It costs B4H about $10,000 to send each container from its Middle Swan location to the other side of the world.

“The total freight package cost is about $10,000 by the time we buy the container and pay for transport,” he said.

“The bikes are worth a reasonable amount of money each as well.

“Volunteers were devastated to arrive and see the container half-empty,” he said.

Midland police are investigating the theft and have serial numbers and photographs of the bikes that were stolen.

“We are continuing with a line of inquiry which is proving fruitful,” Sergeant Glen Liddelow said.

In the meantime, the charity is preparing to send 380 bikes to South Africa this week, a further 40 to near Warburton and Giles, and another 40 to Laverton.

“We also have another 140 to collect and restore in the months ahead,” Mr Brindle said.