Use my current location 99 Bikes Pedals To Employee Empowerment
This year, 99 Bikes is launching a unique employee giving initiative that gives back with the valuable gift of bikes. Employees have the opportunity to donate 1% of their annual wages to four bicycle aligned charities: Qhubeka, Good Cycles, Bikes4Life, and Traction.
These proceeds will contribute towards a larger company-wide goal of donating 100,000 bikes to those in need.
Matt Turner, founder and managing director of 99 Bikes, said the wealth distribution around the world wasn't quite right, so as a company, they wanted to create a cycle of hope.
"Bikes are often the backbone of life in many third world economic and provide much more than just recreation", Matt said.
They are more than just a means of transport to places of employment and education, but also provide access to food, water, medicine and shelter, he said. The initiative is not just about giving, but also about creating opportunities to engage employees and allow them to make a difference, he said.
We have the systems in place to make it easier for employees to give to their chosen charity and allow them to see the direct results from their donations.
Matt added that all 99 Bikes employees were incentivised based on their performance, so the better they performed in their own roles, the greater the positive impact they would have on the people in these communities.
Mark Kingston, sales consultant at 99 Bikes, strongly supports the company's purpose and believes that those who can help have a responsibility to do so.
"It is a special honour to be a part of a company that thinks this way and uses its influence to expand to help others", said Mark.
Helping another person in need is one of the most gratifying experiences a human being can have", he said.
99 Bikes is among many companies to have implemented employee giving programs, alongside Flight Centre, Red Cross and PwC, yet Matt encourages other retail companies to get onboard.
We have noticed a general shift in companies moving away from being all about profit to being driven by purpose, Matt said. By establishing our initiative, we hope to encourage other companies to follow suit and develop a corporate giving program of their own.
Our four beneficiaries are:
Qhubeka - Every $250 delivers one bike to Qhubeka, the charity based in Cape Town, South Africa. The bikes linked to those with good school attendance and academic results.
Good Cycles - Every $300 delivers a bike to Good Cycles based in Docklands, Melbourne. The program works with asylum seekers, refugees, long term unemployed individuals and youth. Bikes are used to educate, empower and employee.
Bikes4Life - Every $100 delivers a bike to Bikes4Life, a charity based in Melbourne that also works in remote Australia and Africa. The bikes are sent in a container to remote, disadvantaged communities with the container transformed into a workshop to keep the bikes operational.
Traction - Every $150 delivers at least on bike to Traction, based in Capalaba Queensland. Helps young people deliver their talents, build self-belief and create their own successful future. Funds will buy new BMX bikes.
For more information about this initiative, visit our company website.
