Tia Brennen is an 11-year-old girl who loves bikes so much, she has restored over 320 abandoned bikes in the last year.
The young mechanic and her dad, Simon, donate the bikes to children in need and have now been recognised for their charity work.
Tia was named Young Volunteer of the Year at the 2017 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards on Friday.
Tia Brennen is an 11-year-old girl who loves bikes so much, she has restored over 320 abandoned bikes in the last year
Since Tia and her family began their mission, they have donated the bikes to disadvantaged children across Sydney
Tia has now been recognised for her work, named Young Volunteer of the Year at the 2017 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards
The young girl, from Campbelltown in Sydney’s west, first came up with the idea when she saw four bikes piled up next to a skip bin at a caravan park on the south coast at during a Christmas holiday last year.
‘I love giving the bikes away to children knowing that it will make them smile,’ Tia previously told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I asked mum if we could take the bikes home and give them to children who needed them – but we didn’t have enough room in the car so we had to leave them behind.’
Tia’s mother Clarissa Brennen said her daughter kept pushing the issue until her parents began helping her collect the bikes and fixing them up.
Since the family began their mission, they have donated the bikes to disadvantaged children across Sydney.
The bikes have found new homes through organisations like the Benevolent Society, Campbelltown Hospital and the Department of Family and Community and Services.
‘I love giving the bikes away to children knowing that it will make them smile,’ Tia previously told Daily Mail Australia
Dad Simon is the ‘chief mechanic’ of their family, but Tia has her own set of skills too
The young mechanic and her dad, Simon, fix the bikes together before donating them to kids in need
The Brennen’s have also donated to Bike for Life, a charity that gives the bikes to Cambodian children who otherwise have no way of getting to school.
Tia’s dad Simon is the chief mechanic, pumping tyres, putting on pedals, adding baskets and making sure the brakes work.
Tia and her mum then clean the bikes to make them look like new before Harmony, Tia’s younger sister, takes them for a spin to see if the repairs have made the grade.
While her dad might do most of the heavy lifting, Tia said she has picked up a few skills of her own over the last year.
‘Volunteer because it’s the best thing you could ever do. It makes your heart smile,’ Tia said
Tia and her little sister Harmony work together to get the bikes looking new and ready to ride
The Brennen’s have also donated to Bike for Life, a charity that gives the bikes to Cambodian children who otherwise have no way of getting to school
‘I went to a workshop at 99 Bikes and learned how to fix the brakes,’ Tia told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘One trick I learned is to take off the bells and put them back on again, which is something I like to do for a lot of the bikes.’
As well as her work fixing bikes, the 11-year-old also makes her own lip-balm to raise money for the local PCYC.
She also volunteers at One Meal – It Makes a Difference, delivers flowers to a nearby nursing home, and has hosted a toy drive over Christmas for children at the local hospital.
‘Volunteer because it’s the best thing you could ever do. It makes your heart smile,’ she said.