Andrea and Barry Coleman’s “eureka” moment came in the heat of the Somali desert. There they saw motorcycles lying in rusted heaps, grass growing through the wheels. They learnt the that bikes had only a few thousand miles on the clock. They also heard how desperate families take sick relatives to clinics using any transport they can find – including wheelbarrows.



What Andrea and Barry did next has saved untold lives in Africa and has also provided a powerful example of the potential of what has become known as social enterprise. They concluded that many of the machines had been abandoned for the want of components costing as little as £5 and that what was needed was a reliable supply of spare parts.



So Riders for Health was born, the international charity chosen for The Times Christmas appeal, which guarantees that the bikes it maintains are never out of action.



From the starter’s flag the Colemans, who met through their shared passion for motor sport, have shunned the well-trodden path of charity funding. Andrea said: “We knew we couldn’t rattle a tin and say: ‘Give us £5 for an oil filter.’ That wasn’t going to appeal because people don’t picture the immediate connection.”



They charge states and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to cover costs. Their customers save money in the long run and the donors know that their money will have a sustainable legacy. Riders for Health is also unusual in declining ex-pat volunteers’ help so that it can employ locals, fostering “a culture of maintenance”.



Brian Tayan, a researcher from the Stanford Business School in California, said that the social enterprise model has lent Riders a rigour not usually found in the charity sector: “It is easy for them to quantify the outcomes. This allows their direct customers, the health ministries and NGOs, to understand up front what they are spending and what they are getting.”



It is this aspect of Riders for Health, and social entrepreneurs in general, that has attracted interest from the City. The Venture Partnership Foundation, one of Riders for Health’s backers, was set up by private equity players and venture capitalists, who harnessed the private equity model to maximise the clout of their philanthropy. “We set up VPF as a smarter way to contribute funding and expertise,’’ Charles Bleehen, of the foundation, says. “We are backing specific entrepreneurs because we think they can do great things.” The litmus test is whether the enterprise can change the system. This is a test that Riders passed with flying colours: “The reason we back them is that we are confident that they can change the way healthcare is delivered to the rural poor in Africa.”



There are some voices of dissent, most notably from established charities, which argue that social enterprise offers nothing but a new name. Richard Adams, founder of Teartrade and Traidcraft, has said: “I don’t think there’s anything new in social enterprise, but a massive amount of money is being spent on promoting it.”



Nevertheless, the well-maintained motorcycles crisscrossing the countryside to bring help to villages in Africa are proof of Riders for Health’s innovation, says Mr Tayan, who is using its supply chain as a case study of best practice for MBA students. “Far and away, the most admirable aspect of the Riders system is simply the fact that it works,” he said.



CVC Capital Partners, the private equity group, will match all donations from Times readers to Riders for Health