On Sunday I stumbled upon the community bike workshop Dismantle, a not for profit organisation in Fremantle, housed in among two shipping containers in Esplanade Park. When I lived in Paris and New York, I experienced a life where bicycles are an important mode of transport. Arriving home in Australia, I was struck by how much we rely on cars to get from A to B.

The mission of Dismantle is to encourage people to adopt cycling as part of their everyday lives, which in turn would promote healthy living, healthy communities and a healthy planet. The community workshop in Fremantle is a space designed to recycle bicycles, connect people and teach them how to turn something useless into something useful.

Along with the workshop, Dismantle launched The Bike Rescue Project which encourages at risk youth to become active members of the community whilst empowering them to recognise their potential and increase self-esteem. The project takes a hands-on approach to bike education while promoting health, sustainable transport and recycling. They are taught a comprehensive course in bike mechanics and restoration over a ten week period. During this time, they select a donated bike and restore it back to its former glory with the guidance and help of experienced facilitators and volunteer mentors.

Dismantle offers Memberships to keep their community space in Fremantle operating, as well as Maintenance Courses and in January 2013 they launched Workplace Wellness Programs to promote physical and mental health in the workplace.

Celebrating their first birthday in January, this fantastic community space is hopefully here to stay! Go and check it out for yourself!

Website: http://dismantle.org.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dismantle.nfp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DismantleFreo

Lei xx