Social enterprise

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Our eBike Hubs innovation wins national Bike Culture Award!

Good Cycles and RideKola are proud to announce our win of the Bike Culture Award at the 2024 Cycling Luminaries Awards, recognising our groundbreaking Equitable Commute Project. 

The award-winning initiative has transformed mobility for residents in three Building Communities developments, part of Victoria’s largest social and affordable housing building programme. Located in Flemington, Prahran, and Brighton, these developments comprise 1,084 homes, with 50% dedicated to social and affordable housing residents.

In less than a year, the Equitable Commute Project has made a meaningful impact by creating an active community of eBike users. The programme goes beyond simply providing bikes, offering practical educational programmes to help residents who may not be familiar with cycling develop the skills and confidence to use eBikes and navigate local roads safely.

Adam Lana, Executive Lead Brand & Bikes at Good Cycles said, “The Equitable Commute Project is all about providing affordable active transport options to people who need it most, and what better way than doing that through upcycled e-bikes.”

“We are so proud of the layered impact this program delivers. In the background, Good Cycles is helping young people who face barriers to employment, and at the coal face is Ride Kola and Equitable Commute Project, allowing people in need the access to free transport, which also has a positive effect on both health and the environment. A huge thanks to the team at Building Communities (Tetris) for allowing us to get this project off the ground ”

The e-bikes are similar to a private fleet of Lime bikes, with a bluetooth lock system operated by the RideKola smartphone app, are fitted with lights and guards, helmets are provided and are serviced by Good Cycles with regular onsite visits. All residents are sent a Welcome Pack to introduce the eBikes Hubs and options for use. The Hubs are supported with ‘How-To’ and ‘Tips’ posters around the charging stations.

The programme arrives at a critical time, with recent ABS and RACV data highlighting the financial strain of transportation. The average Australian household now spends nearly $450 per week on transport expenses, a 9.4% increase from the previous year. For lowest-income earners, transport costs can exceed 20% of their income. During a cost of living crisis, the eBike Hubs are having a direct positive benefit for residents within the Building Communities developments.

Resident response has been enthusiastic. To date, a quarter of residents have signed up for eBike access, with bikes logging over 400 hours of journey time in the first six months. They are being used for a variety of reasons, with sixty per cent of journeys under 30 minutes, and the longest single journey was an impressive 25 km round trip. 

With ongoing education, practical training, increasing occupancy, and improving weather, the potential long-term impact of these eBike Hubs on residents’ lives, local community, and road congestion is substantial.

The Cycling Luminaries Awards, hosted by We Ride! Australia, have recognised outstanding cycling initiatives for 21 years. The Bike Culture Award specifically celebrates programmes that demonstrate exceptional innovation in promoting long-term behavioural change, emphasising the importance of communication, presentation, inclusivity, and safety in driving cultural shifts.

Here’s to more shared, safe and sustainable riding!

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Good Cycles a recipient of the of the TAC Road Safety Grant Program

8 people are smiling at the camera. The sun is bright and shining in their faces. There is a black bike in front of them, that has a large black cube basket on the front. The basket has a white panel on the side, with the 'Good Cycles' and 'RideKola' logos on it.

We are proud to announce Good Cycles is a recipient in the TAC Road Safety Grant Program, receiving $50,000 to deliver training and education programs for new e-bike users accessing shared bike hubs within social and affordable housing developments.

 

Announced by the Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne, this funding will support our hubs at the Building Communities affordable housing developments in Flemington, Prahran and Brighton, managed in partnership with RideKola.

The shared eBikes are supplied with helmets, baskets, and security provided by a Bluetooth lock system operated by the RideKola smartphone app, similar to a private fleet of Lime bikes. All bikes come with battery chargers for use in the eBike Hub and have been fitted with lights, chain guards, skirt guards and mud guards to enable rides in everyday clothing, in all weather conditions and for any work, recreation or shopping purpose. The bikes are serviced by Good Cycles and regular onsite visits are conducted.

The eBike Hubs are offered alongside practical educational programs to ensure residents, who may not be culturally familiar with cycling, develop the skills and confidence to use the eBikes and navigate local roads safely for a range of trips. All residents are sent a Welcome Pack to introduce the eBikes Hubs and options for use. The Hubs are supported with ‘How-To’ and ‘Tips’ posters around the charging stations.

“We are fortunate to have so many organisations and community groups dedicated to improving road safety on behalf of Victorian communities. This grant program is critical to helping these groups identify and address the road safety issues they’re facing within their communities, and deliver initiatives that will make a real difference.”
Melissa Horne
Minister for Roads and Road Safety

There are 1,100 homes across the three sites, with half dedicated to social and affordable housing residents. Recent ABS and RACV data shows that the average Australian household now spends close to $450 per week on transport expenses, an increase of 9.4% last year and the lowest income earners spend more than 20% of their income on transport. During a cost-of-living crisis, the eBike Hubs are having a direct positive benefit for all residents within the Building Communities developments.

By encouraging residents to travel by bike, these hubs are also helping lower emissions and enhance the livability of communities. eBikes produce 40 times less emissions than a car and take up less than one sixth of public space.

This program also has the support of Bicycle Network, who brings their expertise in encouraging the residents to use e-bikes to complete short trips safely and confidently.

The TAC Road Safety Grant Program supports community groups and organisations to develop and implement effective community-based road safety projects that align with the TAC’s priority areas and support the aims of the Victorian Road Safety Strategy.

Embedding a culture of road safety within the community is a key focus of the Victorian Road Safety Strategy, which aims to halve road deaths and significantly reduce serious injuries by 2030.

Our eBike Hubs are making a real difference in Melbourne communities and we are thankful for the TAC grant support that will continue to grow the impact of these e-bike Hubs, to both the residents of these developments and the environment around them.

“We are passionate about providing urban mobility transport options that are greener, cleaner and accessible for all. This grant provides Good Cycles and RideKola the opportunity to introduce e-bikes to a new group of people and provide them with the equipment and training to ensure they are safe and confident on Melbourne roads. With safe bikes and education, we can together reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”
Adam Lana
Executive Lead Brand & Retail, Good Cycles
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We celebrate Ride2Work Day 2024!

The Good Cycles team will be out in force on Ride2Work Day this Wednesday, showing off the latest and greatest bikes in our wares. Test ride and check out our range of e-bikes and commuter bikes, get your bike tuned for free and more! 

Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just bike-curious, whether you are riding to work or thinking about starting, this Wednesday is the day to celebrate all the benefits of riding to work!

Did we mention we’ll also have free coffees?!

Good Cycles Brunswick

Start your Ride2Work Day right! Pop past our Brunswick store for free bike tune ups, coffee and bike engraving. Look out for the ‘Free Coffee’ and ‘Ride2Work’ signs!

⏰  Time: 7am – 9am

☕️  Free IMA coffee thanks to Bicycle Network and Market Lane

⭐️  Free bike engraving thanks to Victoria Police

🚴  Free bike tune ups thanks to Good Cycles 

📍 2A/12 Duckett Street, Brunswick (off the Upfield bike path)

 

Good Cycles CBD (Goldsbrough Lane)

How fast can you fold and unfold a bike? Here’s your chance to find out! We’ll be celebrating off our new partnership with the iconic English brand Brompton! Try the new folding bikes out, test ride a Tern e-bike, and check out the latest titanium beauties that Wondercross has to offer. 

⏰  From midday

🚴  Supported by Brompton, Wondercross & Tern

☕️  Free coffees thanks to Market Lane

⭐️  Spot prizes from the Good Cycles team

📍  Goldsbrough Lane (Little Bourke St end), Melbourne


Good Cycles Geelong

All day our Geelong team will be celebrating Ride2Work Day with free bike tune ups and coffee vouchers, thanks to our good mates down the road at South American Coffee Co. If you have taken a cycling break over winter and need to get your bike back into gear (pun intended!) get a tune up this Wednesday! Simply call the store on 0478 487 547 to secure your spot. 

* free tune ups by appointment only, subject to availability 

⏰  9am – 5pm

🚴  Free bike tune ups thanks to Good Cycles

☕️  Free coffee vouchers thanks to South America Coffee Co

📍  61-63 Little Malop Street, Geelong

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We collaborate with Tradeswomen Australia on our first Gender Lens Assessment.

A strategic priority of ours is to make our organisation more gender inclusive. At Good Cycles, we acknowledge that we work in predominantly male-driven industries.

We strive to remove any gender related barriers so all Young People can be an ongoing part of our valued workforce.

Tradeswomen Australia is a not-for-profit organisation working to increase the representation of women in skilled trade roles and create safe workplaces for everyone. Their Gender Lens Assessment will help us develop strategies to boost gender inclusion and representation.

If we are a good place to work for our whole team,  we can be better at making employment pathways for Young People.
 
Pictured here is Abby (TWA) Hannah and Kirra (Good Cycles) at Good Cycles HQ ahead of our assessment held across October.

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Good Cycles secures People & Planet First verification.

We are thrilled to share that Good Cycles has been recognised as a People and Planet First Verified Social Enterprise.

It means that we have met the global standards and ethics set by Social Enterprise World Forum across five requirements:

Purpose: we exist to solve a social and/or environmental problem

Operations: we prioritise purpose, people and planet over profit in operational decisions

Revenue: we have a self-sustaining revenue model

Use of surplus: we reinvest all our profits into our purpose

Structure: we have chosen legal structures and financing that protects and locks in purpose long term.

We are proud of this recognition of our work to break the employment barriers Young People face by creating green jobs of the future. 

For more information about People & Planet First and the other companies who have gained certification around the world, check out their website here. 

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ABC News covers Good Cycles response to the Melbourne City Council’s share e-scooter ban

It was great to see Hassan and Jaison speaking on the ABC News in support of Lime and our employees after the Melbourne City Council announced the ban on share scooters a few weeks ago.

 It’s been a hard few weeks for Lime, but there is still a lot to play out as other councils in the north, Merri-bek, Darebin and Moonee Valley have signalled their support for a rental e-scooter scheme.  

As a job-focused social enterprise, we exist to break down employment barriers that marginalised young people face. Lime is a significant supporter of our Youth Employment Program, both here in Melbourne and interstate.

Lime is a significant supporter of our Youth Employment Program, both in Victoria and interstate. We have been a proud partner of Lime since 2020, which has provided 149 employment opportunities in Melbourne in this time and 41 current jobs.

The strength of this partnership has also helped staff develop their skills and capabilities to leadership opportunities either at Lime or through the tailored mentorship program Lime and Good Cycles offers. 

This decision obviously has an economic impact, however it is the people and community impact that Good Cycles is concerned about. 

Watch the ABC News clip here:

Play Video

Our partnership with Lime has allowed these Good Cycles employees to find work as scooter and bike mechanics and operations specialists, work that gives them confidence, stability and a sense of purpose. Work that helps break the cycles of unemployment. Sadly the ban on e-scooters is likely to see a reduction in staff and operations. The full extent is unknown at this stage.

Our CEO Jaison Hoernel said “Good Cycles supports the safe and appropriate use of active transport solutions in our cities and all the jobs that it can create. Our research shows young people want to work in jobs of the future such as these green jobs that help our environment and the community. We want to continue supporting Lime while helping young people thrive.”

We are still assessing the full impact of this decision but we do know that e-bikes will continue to operate in the city. We are working closely with Lime to navigate the remaining weeks of the e-scooters operating and the impact that will have on our staff. 

You can show your support to Good Cycles and our Lime staff by signing up to our newsletters and Instagram, so we can keep you informed of future developments. 

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Our Research Release and Round Table Recap

Thank you to everyone who participated in and supported our Round Table Discussion.

Our Round Table Discussion was opened by Hannah Figueroa, our Impact Evaluation Lead, who released the findings of her research into exploring the  job market experiences of young people who are marginalised and the challenges they experience when trying to secure employment. 

In this research, staff from Good Cycles’ Youth Employment Program (YEP) shared personal experiences that gave valuable insights into how their needs and values influence their job choices, and their views on the challenges and opportunities in future work.

Hannah’s research covers three key areas:

Drivers behind youth unemployment: Understanding underemployment and weak participation in the labour market experienced by marginalised young people.

Engaging our youth: The needs and reasons for engaging in work among young people working at Good Cycles.

The future of work: Creating ‘green’ inclusive and sustainable jobs for young people.

To download a copy of Hannah’s research and access the recording of our Round Table Discussion, please fill out your details below.

"We believe the Good Cycles research is pivotal for corporate development companies aiming to create social impact as it provides strategies for empowering groups and thereby directly contributes to the socio economic uplift of local communities."
Bonny Bayne
Strategic Partnerships & Foundation Manager, Stockland

We also thank Professor Jo Barraket, Hannah’s academic mentor, and the Melbourne Social Equity Institute for the opportunity that allowed this research to take place. The community fellows program enables community organisations like Good Cycles the ability to undertake research of this focus and significance. Congratulations to Hannah on completing her research and thank you for sharing the findings with us all. 

To create employment pathways for young people, we need to listen and learn from young people themselves. We have so much gratitude for Youth Employment Program participants who shared their stories and lived experience with us in the research.

Thank you to Vaughn, a YEP participant and Assistant Manager at Purpose Precinct, who shared their experiences both in the research and at the Round Table Discussion. They gave an invaluable contribution to the discussion with their eloquent and considered perspectives.  

We extend our gratitude to our panellists, who shared their experience, knowledge and support:

Bonny Bayne (Strategic Partnerships & Foundation Manager, Stockland)

Myf Galloway (Asia Pacific Retail Training Manager, Trek Bicycle Corporation)

Quentin Mercier (Industry Capability & Inclusion Manager, John Holland)

Lara Nickless (Operations Manager, Lime Australia)

To download a copy of Hannah’s research and access the recording of our Round Table Discussion, please fill out your details below.

In social enterprise, we know the power in creating a sense of belonging through human connection. We’ve learned a lot about how to do it well and want to be a blueprint for how business can be.

If we’re making good workplaces for people who’ve experienced barriers to employment, it means that we’re making good workplaces for everyone. 

“Businesses need to start approaching practices differently because this is your workforce of the future. There’s only going to be more young people and they’re going to be the older people in the next few years. If you want to have a good business in ten, fifteen or twenty years, this is needs to be important to you now.”

Kirra Johnson, Executive Lead People & Impact, Good Cycles

Our first discussion event may have ended but the discussion certainly hasn’t. If anybody wants to keep talking, talk to us at Good Cycles, talk to each other, and let’s keep the discussion and action going.

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Vote for Good Cycles in the Third Sector Awards!

The Third Sector Awards is the largest and most prestigious Awards ceremony recognising excellence within the not-for-profit sector. 

Good Cycles has been nominated as finalists in TWO categories. Public voting is now open and we need your help!

SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP AWARD

‘Using the bike for social and environmental change’

Since 2013 we’ve supported Young People in securing safe and meaningful jobs. We use social and environmental innovation to break the employment barriers they face. Across four divisions we create jobs with a range of career pathways, green jobs of the future and jobs that nurture communities to be cleaner, safer, and healthier.

We’ve been recognised for our demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to sustainability in its operations, initiatives, and overall mission. The winning organisation (hopefully us!) will have implemented innovative and effective strategies to promote environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and economic resilience.

VOTE 'SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP AWARD'

COLLABORATION EXCELLENCE AWARD

Good Cycles & City of Melbourne’s organic waste collection

Since May 2022, Good Cycles, City of Melbourne and Citywide have worked together to help young people who are marginalised find meaningful and ongoing work, while helping the city address a growing environmental issue around the incorrect management of organic waste material. 

This award recognises a successful partnership that has achieved significant collective impact in addressing complex social challenges or advancing a common cause.

VOTE 'COLLABORATION EXCELLENCE AWARD'

Voting closes 16 August. Thank you for your support!

Learn more about our work breaking employment barriers for Young People in our 2023 Impact Snapshot.

Find out more
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Congratulations Hannah!

This week we celebrated Hannah’s completion of her research as a Community fellow for the Melbourne Social Equity Institute at the University of Melbourne.

Hannah, our Impact Evaluation Lead, led this important research into understanding the challenges faced by Young People from marginalised backgrounds in gaining employment, and the kinds of factors that inform their decisions and aspirations around employment pathways.

Hannah’s research addressed the lack of qualitative data from Young People who have been marginalised and the structural barriers they face in securing work.

She will be presenting a summary of her important work at our upcoming Round Table, where we’ll be joined by partners of Good Cycles for an open conversation on the role we play in helping Young People access sustainable employment opportunities.

We are very lucky to have Hannah in our team and are thankful for the opportunity to share the outcomes of her research with you.

 

Date: Wednesday 7 August

Time: 4pm

Where: Melbourne CBD and online

Register here

Congratulations to all the Melbourne Social Equity Institute 2023/24 Fellows, pictured here with Hannah at this week’s celebration.

 Photo: Peter Casamento

Learn more about our work breaking employment barriers for Young People.

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Good Cycles releases its Impact Snapshot 2023 on World Skills Youth Day

We are proud to release our 2023 Impact Snapshot on July 15 to coincide with World Youth Skills Day, a day the United Nations chose to recognise the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

Read our 2023 Impact Snapshot here.

2023 was a big year for Good Cycles. We celebrated our 10 Year anniversary, increased our employees by 40%, moved into Sydney (and now Brisbane and the Gold Coast) with our Lime contract. We did all this while redefining and structuring Good Cycles services through four new business divisions, all ideal industries to grow our impact and Youth Employment Program:

 

Good Spaces: Large scale green space and asset maintenance services.

Good Deliveries: Specialist inner-city deliveries, logistics and sustainability services delivered via e-bikes.

Good Bikes: Bike retail, corporate servicing  and tailored micro-mobility services.

Good People: Specialist managed workforce partnerships (labour hire) with value-aligned partners.

 

 

Most importantly, we had 52 young people in our Youth Employment Program (up from 29 participants in 2022) for a total of 33,484 hours of paid work (up 45% from 2022).

 

Good Cycles 1
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Good Cycles 7
Good Cycles 9
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This snapshot touches on some challenges the young people face and we look forward to expanding our reporting to align with our
23-24 annual report and share more of our research findings in the near future. 

We know that young people thrive when given the right opportunities, and we are striving to learn more, adapt and grow together.

Read our 2023 Impact Snapshot here.

We had 52 young people in our Youth Employment Program
up from 29 participants in 2022 for a total of 33,484 hours of paid work up 45% from 2022

Good Cycles is incredibly proud of our team leaders, managers, coaches and mentors that bring their passion and commitment towards helping young people who experience barriers to employment.

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Good Deliveries. We Deliver Change.

You know our retail stores, but did you know that Good Cycles also uses bikes to help other businesses deliver their products?

Our Good Deliveries division is now operating to help businesses to deliver into Melbourne’s inner city.

Choosing Good Deliveries means businesses are receiving quality service while supporting Good Cycles to provide safe and meaningful work for Young People in our community.

A competitively priced alternative for small businesses, we can collect the packages (or they can drop them off at our conveniently located Richmond depot) for us to deliver the next day.

Our fleet of e-cargo bikes efficiently navigates high traffic, congested destinations so you can trust Good Deliveries to quickly and professionally meet all delivery needs. Because we use bikes, we are also putting the planet first by reducing emissions spent compared to vans and trucks.

Deliveries can easily be placed via our online portal and can be tracked throughout, with notifications set up for both sender and recipients. We can collect parcels from anywhere in and around Melbourne, and our current delivery area can be found in the FAQ section of the Good Deliveries website.

Keen to work together, putting people and planet first? Find out more about how our Good Deliveries team can work with your business here.

 

Have a suggestion for a business you think you could work with? Let us know via the Contact Us form on our Good Deliveries website.

Learn more about how your donation can make a difference

Donate here
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GIVE Melbourne Fundraising Efforts

Trio of workers standing in a warehouse, holding bike helmets and wearing hi-viz uniforms.

The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation has launched GIVE Melbourne, a month-long fundraising campaign to raise funds for critical community needs such as Good Cycles.

Noting the current cost of living crisis, increasing rates of unemployment for young people, and lack of affordable housing has exacerbated existing community challenges, this donation drive is asking for support to help Melbourne be a livable and inclusive city for all people.
The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation’ Chief Executive Officer Peter Walton said, “Melbourne is often voted as the most livable city, however, that is not the experience or reality for many people in our community.” “The current cost of living crisis, increased rates of unemployment for young people and lack of affordable housing has exacerbated existing community challenges. We’re working towards Greater Melbourne being a livable and inclusive city for all.”
GIVE Melbourne will support Good Cycles, alongside Ask Izzy by Infoxchange, Sweltering Cities and Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.
GIVE Melbourne is aiming to inspire Melburnians to donate from now until 28 June. Donations of all sizes will help support creating inclusive employment opportunities for young people, the increasing effects of climate change and reduce homelessness. All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. With the end of financial year upon us, now is the perfect time to support Good Cycles further.

Learn more about how your donation can make a difference

Donate here
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Ministerial Visit to Good Cycles

YEP participants speaking with Federal Minister for Employment Tony Burke and MP Peter Khalil inside the Brunswick bike shop.

Federal Minister of Employment Tony Burke and MP for Wills Peter Khalil met with Good Cycles to learn more about how we contribute to the lives of young people, their communities and the environment. 

They sat down with Oliver, Luz, Lucas and Luca who shared their experiences of the Good Cycles Youth Employment Program and the impact it has had on them, and the future they see for themselves. The visit follows the budget release, which detailed $21.9 million to fund work integrated social enterprises such as Good Cycles.

80% of young people struggle to find or keep jobs (YMCA, December 2021). The work that we do to remove the barriers they face for safe, meaningful and sustainable employment is only going to become more important.

We thank Minister Burke and Mr Khalil for visiting us and hearing first-hand how social enterprises can contribute to employment issues in Australia and help empower those most shut out of work opportunities. 

Learn more about how we shape livable communities

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Specialized arrives at Good Cycles

J.P. holding a Specialized Como 3.0.

What do Specialized and Good Cycles have in common? We both believe that the bicycle has the power to change lives.

We are excited to announce that Good Cycles is now stocking Specialized bikes, for all types of riders, for all kinds of rides. Specialized are a leader in the cycling world, designing award winning bikes that are on the cutting edge of innovation.  

We are grateful for the support Specialized has given us over the years. We are stoked with our new partnership and working further together to help get more people on bikes.

To shop our range of Specialized bikes, pop into our Geelong store or visit the Good Cycles online store.

For further enquiries, give our Good Cycles Geelong store a call on 0478 487 547.

Good Cycles Geelong is at 61-63 Little Malop Street, Geelong.

Open Tuesday to Friday 9am – 5pm and Saturday 9:30am – 3pm.

Learn more about how we shape livable communities

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And the winner is… Good Cycles!

We are chuffed to be recognised with the Innovation Excellence Award at the 2024 Civil Contractors Federation Victoria People & Training Awards!

Our submission noted the work we do with Citywide, DM Roads and Fulton Hogan and the social and environmental innovation we achieve together, but most importantly that this work supports Good Cycles Youth Employment Program and empowering young people in their own lives and communities through stable employment. 

Good Cycles, our purpose and our people were recognised in a room of industry professionals, helping raise awareness of the depth of our business and the partnerships we can offer to help other organisations also support young people and create cycles of change.
We know our staff do amazing work everyday, however awards like this are wonderful to know others recognise the value in what we do as well. Congrats to all the winners and nominees!

Learn more about how we shape livable communities

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