A bike upcycling workshop demonstrated the value of sustainability and the beautiful social connections which can come with it on 17 September.
The UpCycles workshop was part of the Choose Your Own Adventure social event hosted by ECOSS and the Yarra Ranges Council which saw community members connect through a range of engaging experiences.
Over 20 attendees chose between four Adventure Options, which included Ceremonial Cacao Making, a Sound Healing and Guided Meditation experience, the UpCycles workshop and Crops for Community Gardens.
Four people came along to Damian Auton’s UpCycles workshop where he explained the workshop’s program and how it has helped young people and the environment.
UpCycles receives discarded bikes and then participants, whom are often young kids, refurbish them from scratch by replacing their parts and restoring them to a usable condition to be sold.
Mr Auton said UpCycles was great as it gave anyone the opportunity to get their hands dirty and construct a bike – whether it be a bike they’ve brought in, or one that’s already been donated.
“Mostly what we’re trying to do is upcycle, reuse, and teach people how to repair rather than chuck them away,” Mr Auton said.
UpCycles has provided an inclusive environment for young people while teaching essential bike maintenance skills.
It also provided families with the opportunity to purchase refurbished bikes at a fraction of the cost, despite most of the upcycled bikes being in almost perfect condition.
A brand new $650 bike was sold to a customer for $170 after being upcycled which demonstrated the amount families could save.
Aside from the savings, the UpCycles workshop is also a place for young people to connect and learn new skills.
Mr Auton said children found a lot of joy at UpCycles due to the hands-on nature of the work.
“Kids love the tactical nature of getting your hands dirty, but also the problem solving too. That’s really what it is – I have a problem, and I know how to fix it, that’s life you know,” Mr Auton said.
“When they do that, they get their hands dirty, and they get to know how bikes work without any consequence. They pull bikes apart, break something, it doesn’t matter.”
He also noted children who don’t enjoy conventional sports such as football, netball or soccer were common visitors at UpCycles.
“For some of them, this is their sport, this is their soccer, or their basketball. If they don’t fit into that sort of group sport then I find that they love coming here,” Mr Auton said.
After the UpCycles workshop, the Choose Your Own Adventure attendees gathered for a debrief and some cocoa to finish the event.
