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 8th April 2008
"Oscar hands out 3,000 bikes"
By Deborah Haile
WHEN a bicycle gets broken and chucked away, it's a great idea to . . . recycle it. And that's just what Oscar Brogden has done with an astonishing 3,000 of them. Then Oscar, an engineer who's a dab-hand at repairing bikes, has given them away to local youngsters.
Oscar devotes much of his spare time to fixing broken and damaged bikes that have been thrown away and are destined for the tip. He works at Manchester council's Hammerstone Road depot in Gorton and an army of eagle-eyed refuse collectors take in the bikes instead of taking them to landfill. He then restores them and passes them on for nothing - usually to Manchester youngsters who regularly turn up at the depot in the hope of being able to pedal away.
His 3,000th bike has just been given to Demilio O'Brien, from Hincaster Walk, Gorton, who has been getting bikes from Oscar since he was seven. Now he has been nominated for our Manchester Heroes Awards. He said: "Me and my friends really like Oscar and we all get bikes from him. My bike is great - you can do tricks on it. "I'm going to ride around with my friends in Fallowfield and Debdale."
Demilio's mum, Georgina, said: "Oscar's a good-hearted person. All the local kids talk about him." Depot controller Oscar, 62, from Abbey Hey, has been restoring the bikes for more than 10 years. He said: "I started doing this because I couldn't believe they were just going to waste. I noticed bikes on the wagons going to the tip, so I asked the lads to bring them here and they were only too pleased. We can do something with most bikes that we get, or we use two to make one.
"The important thing is that they don't end up in landfill - they end up with people getting satisfaction out of them. I do this for three hours a night or a whole Saturday sometimes. I enjoy it - but I couldn't do it without the help of the people who work here and those who bring things in."
Oscar told how the great giveaway started - and how word spread. "I work at the depot entrance," he said, "and this kid came up and asked if he could have the bike that was there. I said yes and it started from there - word got round that there was a bloke giving bikes away".
As well as mending bikes, he has helped to set up four projects across the city, where youngsters are helped to restore broken bikes for themselves - learning new skills and picking up a set of wheels into the bargain.
Coun Eddy Newman said: "For more than a decade, Oscar has been performing a wonderful service, not just to members of the east Manchester community, but to the environment. I hope he goes on to restore another 3,000 bikes." Oscar has also taken it upon himself to return stolen purses ending up at the depot after being thrown in litter bins. So far, he says, he has matched up 1,073 purses with their owners.
 Monday 21st April 2008"MANCHESTER LEGEND OSCAR GIVES AWAY HIS 3,000th BIKE"
By Keith Bingham
Manchester City Council have discovered a new cycling king in their midst, Oscar Brogden. He's become a local legend.
No, he didn't make his name on the famous indoor velodrome, where Brits won nine world titles last month. Oscar's domain is in the council's Hammerstone Road Depot where he and his team have just restored their 3,000th bike! And given it away, to a 10-year-old Gorton kid.
Depot leader Oscar and his a team restore discarded and damaged bikes and give them to local community. “I work in my spare time, evenings, weekends. I'm single, see,” he told Cycling Weekly. “You couldn't do this if you were married, you'd be nagged,” he laughed. “But do you know what? Discarded bikes are becoming harder to find. They're drying up.”
Brogden's community work won him a national award for innovation in 2005, ahead of 2000 other candidates! A council spokesman explained that social workers turn to Oscar to give bikes to children who may not otherwise ever own one. Brogden said: "I started doing this because I couldn't believe all these bikes were just going to waste. It made a lot of sense to sort them out, and I really enjoy getting letters of thanks from people I've helped out. It's a big team effort and without the help of everyone else bringing the bikes into the depot, this wouldn't happen."
Councillor Eddy Newman, Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: "For more than a decade now, Oscar has been performing a wonderful service, not just to members of the east Manchester community, but to the environment. I hope he goes on to restore another 3,000 bikes."
 "Fabulous five scoop Volunteer Oscars as ‘inspirational’ campaign reaches finale"
Forget Big Brother: five of the country’s authentic ‘reality stars’ ranging from a refugee to a council worker who has recycled 2000 bikes have been crowned winners of the CSV Year of the Volunteer Awards at a star-studded event in London
Oscar Brogden, from Manchester, winner in the category for Innovation.A depot controller at Manchester City Council, Oscar came up with the idea of reclaiming and repairing abandoned bicycles. Often stripping the bikes down and buying the parts needed to repair it from his own pocket, Oscar then gives the bikes away free of charge to people in the local community, Social Services and youth groups. Since 1998 he has reclaimed and repaired over 2000 bicycles!
From: www.junkk.com
http://www.junkk.com/newsarticle.asp?slevel=0z608&parent_id=608&renleewtsapf=195%0A
"Oscar picks up an Oscar!"
Bicycle repair man wins top award at national 'Volunteer Oscars'
A depot controller from Manchester is toasting success after beating off the competition to scoop one of the highest accolades in the country for his volunteering work.
Oscar Brogden was among the original 2005 medal winners across the country in the CSV Year of the Volunteer awards held to celebrate the Year of the Volunteer 2005. He was then shortlisted to the final 45 volunteers in 5 categories. At the awards ceremony at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London on Sunday 22 January 2006, Oscar was named the top volunteer in the country in his category of Innovation. The award, a specially commissioned glass trophy, was presented by Channel Four presenter June Sarpong.
Oscar's extraordinary volunteering work means that this prestigious award is well deserved. He has set up several schemes to help his community and the environment. As part of his work Oscar reclaims pushbikes and pushchairs from refuse, repairs them, and gives them away free of charge to people who need them such as social services and youth groups. He also teaches his skills to groups of unemployed and young people in the community.
A colleague commented "he has the whole workforce taking recycling seriously. He will always find someone in need of an item".
Oscar's compassion is also evidenced by his volunteer work with the outreach unit of Manchester Action on Street Health, a charity supporting women that work in the sex industry. On receiving his award, he said: "I've had a belter! I have had a really, really lot out of life and it gives me the opportunity now to put things back." In addition, Oscar volunteers to reunite stolen and dumped purses, wallets, handbags etc with their owners - and makes sure they are never returned empty. Recognising that photos and personal mementoes are often priceless to the victims, he has reunited over 700 people with their belongings. Oscar also established a scheme to give Christmas toys to children who would not otherwise be getting presents, plus a process for returning abandoned hospital equipment. He undertakes hospital visits and collects goods for needy families both abroad and in his local area.
"The Year of the Volunteer has been a huge success and we have been humbled by meeting truly inspirational volunteers like Oscar," said Dame Elisabeth Hoodless, Executive Director of CSV. "The nation was asked to nominate people who they thought were extraordinary and they have certainly succeeded in this. From 2005 medal winners, Oscar has won the top award in his category, and will no doubt inspire many more to volunteer."
The 'Volunteer Oscars' ceremony was a spectacular finale to the Year of the Volunteer Awards. Celebrities attending included Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay, Jon Snow and Monarch of the Glen's Dawn Steele. The afternoon included a special performance by members of the Rambert Dance Company and films showcasing the work of volunteers. The gala event was held to celebrate and honour the amazing work carried out every day by volunteers, which has been a key focus of the Year of the Volunteer.
Year of the Volunteer 2005 is owned by volunteers, led by a partnership between CSV and the Volunteering England Consortium, and supported by the Home Office.
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