Good Samaritan starts “spare time cottage industry” making broken children’s go-karts, tractors and bikes as good as new and donates them to schools

A good Samaritan who spotted a dilapidated go-kart left by some bins has started a “spare time cottage industry” fixing pre-loved children’s vehicles which he now saves from landfill and donates to local schools.

Sales representative Dan Baxter, 51, has fixed and refurbished more than 60 children’s outdoor toys since spotting his first abandoned go-kart in 2020, just before the pandemic.

Turning the garage of the home he shares with his stationery representative wife, Lisa, 55, in Pimperne, Dorset, into a workshop, kind-hearted Dan says his reward comes from knowing the vehicles have a new lease of life, saying: “It feels really good to give back to my community and it keeps me busy.”

He added: “I’m a huge advocate for improving people’s mental health and I think it’s so important to get kids outside and active, not just glued to their screens every day.

“If I can help with their mental wellbeing through the provision of refurbished go-karts and bikes and bring some fun into their lives again after the stress of the pandemic, then that’s a gift in itself.”

Dan first had the idea to fix the items after seeing a broken go-kart left  outside a neighbouring house.

He said: “Just before lockdown I was driving around for my job when I noticed a go-kart at the end of someone’s drive. It was left by the wheelie bins and I realised it was going to waste.

“I knocked on the door to ask if I could take it and the owners were happy for me to have it.

“It felt like a nice project to work on.”

He added: “The kart was split in two, so I had to piece it back together again. Then I spray-painted it and once it was rebuilt, I gave it to some kids in the village.

“Just to hear the laughter from them as they raced up and down the road having a really good time was wonderful.”

Pleased with his handiwork, Dan went searching on Facebook until he found someone in the area who was also getting rid of their go-kart.

He said: “They were offering it for free and it was in pretty bad shape, but I knew I could fix it up to look new again.

“Since then, I haven’t stopped. I’ve not just rebuilt go-karts but also children’s tractors, bikes and scooters.

“Whenever I find someone on the neighbourhood app Nextdoor or Facebook giving away a children’s bike or the suchlike, I make sure to snap it up.”

Once they are made to look like new, Dan then advertises the items on local online groups to find nearby nurseries, pre-schools, primary schools and community groups that would be interested in taking them for free.

Spending around two days restoring each item, he devotes spare weekends and evenings to the task.

“When I was younger, I used to fix up old cars and I once custom built  a motorbike so, while I’d never refurbished a go-kart before, I knew I could do it,” he said.

He added: “The initial idea was to just give the go-karts away to children around the village, but one day I spotted a local special needs school advertising a donation drive on Facebook, so I gave some to them.

“When I saw the post from the school it made me realise that the karts could be enjoyed not just by one kid who will grow out of it, but by lots of kids.

“That’s why I made the decision to start gifting them to schools.”

He added: “It’s a small gesture really but it’s made a huge difference to the schools in our area.

“Family and friends were blown away by them and Lisa is really proud of me.”

But, as well as stocking up local schools, he is also happy to give any child who needs a new toy one of his amazing refurbished items if he has one.

He said: “If there are any families out there who aren’t able to afford something like a scooter for their child, I’m happy to restore one for them.

“I think people are too afraid to ask me as I don’t tend to get individual requests, but I work with a food bank who I’m helping to get toys to families in dire need.

“At the end of the day, I enjoy refurbishing the tractors and karts and once I’m done, a child gets a new toy. It’s a win win situation.”

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