10 people have backed Cycles of Good!4 months ago
Whoop, 10 people have pledged since fundraising began!
Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
At WBP vulnerable people learn skills and build confidence through recycling donated bikes. The bikes are then given to disadvantaged young people, refugees and asylum seekers who need them.
50 disadvantaged children in West Oxfordshire will receive a bike or tricycle from our bike library on long term loan. This will enable them to learn to ride, get regular exercise and take part in Bikeability cycle training alongside their peers. 200 asylum seekers currently staying at a hotel in Witney will have access to a pool of 10 bikes to enable them to make local journeys. The bikes will be donated by members of the public and refurbished by Windrush Bike Project volunteers. The bikes will be locked in a central area checked out by residents at the hotel reception. 5 residents will be trained in simple repair skills. 25 young people living in and around Witney will be able to fix their own bikes or recycle donated bikes at our Youth Mechanics Drop in service. 20 adults will attend our Rusty Riders programme gaining new confidence to undertake short journeys by cycle for health, well-being, shopping, education or employment.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
Our inclusive bike library removes the financial and physical barriers to children owning and riding cycles. With a bike or trike children will establish the habits that can form part of an active and healthy lifestyle, taking part in Bikeability training alongside their peers at school, learning a vital life skill. The 200 Asylum seekers housed in the hotel in Witney have a minimal stipend making bus fares unaffordable. Their children can be placed in schools up to 40 minutes walk away. A pool of shared bikes will mean that more individuals can access education, shops and services. Asylum seekers who took part in a build a bike course with us in 2023 said that the most significant impact of having a cycle was access to education and mental health benefits. Drop in sessions mean disadvantaged young people have a safe and inclusive space to learn bike mechanics and keep their cycles roadworthy. Adults will gain the confidence to make short journeys by cycle.
Steps to get it done:
Our circular model of donate, volunteer, refurbish and donate again has numerous additional benefits for the environment, WBP volunteers and recipients: 1) Bikes are saved from landfill and given a new lease of life (reducing waste and keeping them in operation for longer). 2) Workshop volunteers are engaged in recycling bikes for social good providing meaningful work in a social environment. 3) Bike library recipients receive the gift of mobility - sometimes for the first time in their lives - and the ability to take part in, what for many of us is a right of passage, cycle training in primary school. 4). Workshop volunteers will acquire new skills and the ability to help others through the youth drop in service and supporting asylum seekers. 5) Adults swap car journeys for those by bike reducing congestion and air pollution as well as benefitting their own mental and physical health.
Gallery
Journey
Follow this project You are following this project for updates to your inbox
Whoop, 10 people have pledged since fundraising began!
Brilliant news, thanks everyone!
Whoop, 10 people have pledged since fundraising began!
How will the money be spent?Total £17,207
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Total £17,207
Our Volunteer List
Want to help?
Do you have stuff or skills to contribute to this project? Use this tool to offer something to the project creator.
VolunteerWindrush Bike Project CIC is a not for profit social enterprise. Our team of professional staff and amazing volunteers help people from all walks of life to make everyday journeys by bike and learn about bike mechanics.
We run a community bike workshop in the heart of Witney, West Oxfordshire, where we teach vulnerable children and adults to fix donated bikes through our mechanics courses. Our mechanics also repair and service bikes.
Outside the workshop we deliver Bikeability Cycle training in 48 schools in Oxfordshire, run a weekly inclusive cycling activity at Wood Green School, and campaign for safer cycle routes suitable for all ages and all abilities.
Below are some case studies and quotes from our service users:
J, aged 30, is autistic and has mild learning difficulties. Consequently, he spent a lot of time alone at home (where he lived with his mother) and was lonely and isolated – particularly over the pandemic years. He participated in our cycle mechanics for well-being course in the autumn of 2022 and then stayed on as a volunteer. Attending the bike project was his only regular activity at that time. J does a mixture of tasks, dismantling old bikes for parts, refurbishing bikes, unpacking stock or organising the workshop tea break! J thrives on company, loves a good joke and enjoys the sociable atmosphere. Since he started with us, he has gained the confidence to develop relationships with new people, taken up another volunteering role in the community and is talking about getting a part time job.
“R has had a chat with us this week and said that she feels she is ready to stop coming to the bike project and be in school. She has found being with you really helpful and it has been a great success for R. Thank you so much for all that you have done to support R”. School Leader.
“Our daughter has a diagnosis of autism and couldn’t ride a bike as she struggled to balance and was really frightened of hurting herself. The Bikeability course was fantastic in building her confidence and helping her to learn to ride a bike in a step by step process. The instructors were encouraging, patient and compassionate throughout. After the project, we were told about the Bike Library. We are now on our second bike from the library. Having a bike from the library meant we kept the momentum going after the bike course and our daughter now rides to and from school four times a week”.
Project Owner: Windrush Bike Project The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
