Tern Bicycles recently announced US $35,000 in donations as part of its annual program that contributes at least 1% of the previous year’s profits to organisations advancing positive social and environmental change.
As part of this year’s update, Tern gave the program a new name, Good Werx, in remembrance of Tern team member Thomas Loesch.
The 2025 Good Werx recipients are World Bicycle Relief, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, and World Central Kitchen.
“Most years, our donations focus on environmental or bicycle-related projects. But this past year, the scale of humanitarian crises has become dire that we’ve chosen to focus more on organizations providing essential care, nourishment, and access where it’s needed most – Josh Hon, Tern Team Captain
Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical organisation that provides care to people who need it most. MSF supports communities affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and social exclusion in more than 70 countries.
This year, Tern is donating to MSF’s Gaza Emergency Fund, supporting their work treating mass casualties and operating clinics that are running far beyond capacity. MSF teams provide surgical care, wound and burn treatment, malnutrition support, maternal and pediatric care, physiotherapy, vaccinations, mental health services, and water and sanitation support, among other services.
MSF also bears witness to the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, emphasising that impartiality does not mean silence. The organisation continues to report on conditions where tens of thousands have been killed or injured, families have been repeatedly displaced, and hospitals are under extreme strain. Hundreds of aid workers, including 15 MSF staff members, have lost their lives, and MSF warns that recovery will take decades.
World Central Kitchen (WCK)
World Central Kitchen is a humanitarian organisation that provides fresh meals and clean water to communities affected by conflict, natural disasters, and climate-driven emergencies. Through a network of field kitchens and local partners, WCK scales rapidly to meet immediate food needs while also supporting long-term community resilience.
Tern is contributing to WCK’s general operating fund, recognising the unpredictable nature of the crises they respond to. In 2025 alone, WCK has mobilised after the earthquake in Afghanistan, supported communities in Jamaica following a devastating hurricane, and restarted large-scale meal production in Gaza after months of blocked humanitarian access.
World Bicycle Relief (WBR)
Bicycles can also be a powerful catalyst for change, especially in rural regions of the developing world. They remove one of the biggest barriers people face: the ability to travel long distances and carry essential cargo quickly and safely. World Bicycle Relief works to close this mobility gap by providing durable, purpose-built bicycles that expand access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.
Last year, Tern supported WBR’s Girls on the Move program, helping schoolgirls in remote communities travel safely to school. This year, Tern is contributing to Wheels for Health, which equips community health workers with bicycles to reach more patients each day. In countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, where clinics are widely dispersed, these bicycles directly improve access to essential healthcare.
Good Werx: Honouring Thomas Loesch
Beginning this year, Tern’s Give Back program will officially adopt a new name: Good Werx. The change honors the memory of Thomas Loesch, founder of the Swiss bike company Velowerk and a longtime, cherished member of the Tern product development team. A master engineer with an uncompromising love for the humble bicycle, Thomas believed that bicycles should serve people and communities in meaningful, practical ways, not simply exist as recreational products.
Thomas played a key role in Tern’s humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, providing essential support to navigate the complex process of getting 60 donated Tern cargo bikes into the country. He also funded a significant portion of the donation personally, with additional support from Tern’s Swiss distributor, Amsler. Today, these bikes are used daily by families, aid workers, and local service providers who rely on them as vital tools for mobility and resilience.
Renaming the program Good Werx ensures that his legacy of generosity, practicality, and compassion continues to help guide Tern’s efforts to support positive change.