Melbourne Couple To Ride Around The Bay In A Day On A Tandem Bamboo Bicycle

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8th October 2010, 03:17pm - Views: 1323





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Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT AVAILABLE



Friday, October 8, 2010

Around the Bay on a tandem bamboo bicycle

As thousands gear up to tackle the Around the Bay in a Day bike ride on Sunday, October 17, one

Melbourne couple will take the challenge to another level - on a tandem bicycle made from Zambian

bamboo.

Tim Budge, Country Director for Plan International in Zambia, will be joined by his wife Meredith on the

bamboo bicycle. Accompanied by other members of Team Plan Zambia, they plan to ride 210km in an

attempt to raise $10,000 for rural communities in the developing African nation. 

The Budges, who are avid bike riders, moved to Zambia in 2009 and are returning to Melbourne for their

annual leave. They have been training rigorously for their tandem challenge, waking at 5:30am three times

a week to complete a 30km circuit and then facing longer rides of 100-150km on the weekends. 

The tandem bamboo bike has been built specially for the event by a small Zambian business called

Zambikes. The business was founded in 2007 to provide affordable, sturdy bicycles built for the rugged

Zambian environment as a solution to the serious transport issues that affect many people. Many

Zambians can walk up to three hours each way for work – riding a bicycle reduces that time to 40 minutes.

Money raised by the Plan Zambia team, will be used to buy bicycles and a unique medical trailer called a

Zambulance from Zambikes that will help Plan’s work with rural Zambian communities. 

Mr Budge has seen first-hand the impact of Zambikes’ bicycles and Zambulances on communities. “The

Zambulance is particularly important for emergency transport for the ill, wounded or expectant mothers,”

said Mr Budge.

“Traditional birth attendants and motherhood groups are now able to reach more expectant mothers, and

reports from many provinces show that Zambulances are being used to transport more mothers to health

facilities for safer deliveries,” he said.

ENDS

Around the Bay in a Day will take place on Sunday, October 17. To support Plan Zambia’s fundraising to

buy more bicycles and Zambulances, and to follow the Budges’ training blog, go to:


  


For more information and interviews with Tim and Meredith Budge, please contact:

Sinead Blessing

Communications Co-ordinator

Plan International Australia

Ph: 03 9672 3678

Mobile: 0450 081 659

Email: Sinead.blessing@plan.org.au



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Background information:


Tim and Meredith


Tim has been working in international development since the early 1990s. He worked with Plan Australia in

2005, prior to a posting in East Timor as Plan’s Country Director. He worked in East Timor for three and a

half years and moved to Zambia to be Plan’s Country Director in July 2009.


Tim’s wife Meredith also works in international development. She is a former occupational therapist,

community development worker and political advisor, who now focuses on women’s development and

maternal and child health issues.


Both Tim and Meredith are avid bicycle riders. When they lived in Melbourne, they were active cycling

commuters and regular weekend riders. They love Melbourne’s network of bike paths, particularly the Yarra

and Capital Trails. They have completed two Around the Bay in a Day rides.


Zambikes


Zambikes was founded in 2007 as a response to the serious transport issues that affect many Zambians.

Zambikes recognised that affordable bicycles that were custom-built for the rugged Zambian environment

were needed. Since 2007 Zambikes has sold hundreds of bicycles to organisations and individuals with a

huge impact on life and work. Some positive effects include:



A person that used to walk three hours to work can now make the journey in just 40 minutes.


A nurse or social worker can visit an average of 10 patients per day.


A person can carry more than double the weight on the bike’s rear rack than in their arms. For a

transport entrepreneur that means double the income.


Plan International


Plan is one of the oldest and largest children’s development organisations in the world that works to

empower communities to overcome poverty. By actively involving children, and working at the grassroots

with no religious or political agenda, Plan unites and inspires people around the globe to transform the

world for children. Plan works in more than 49 countries.


For more information about Plan go to www.plan.org.au 


For more information on Zambikes go to: www.new.zambikes.org










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