The idea
By opening our cycle hub minimum 3 days a week we will expand our existing model -TRAIN - FIX - RIDE offering a comprehensive experience to supporting the local community's everyday cycling journeys. Train: ‘Bikeability’ cycle training will provide confidence, road safety & journey planning skills getting more cyclists aware of how to share roads & cycle safely and confidently. Fix: A community workshop, where mechanics can offer cycle repairs and servicing at affordable pricing; the purchase of spare parts and our bike recycling project, selling bikes at affordable prices. Our workshop staff will facilitate re-skilling/rehab programmes, where people can gain transferable skills to help them with employment.Ride: Partaking in Led rides allows riders to explore their local and wider area. Providing regular led rides, and also include rides for specific groups within the community. Our bike recycling programme will enable a library of bikes and safety equipment made available to borrow.
What we'll deliver
- Cycle hub expansion from one day to three
- Grow our network of our workshop and ride leading volunteers
- Increase workshop activity, including more bike repairs and aspiring to up cycle minimum of 80 bikes a year
- Create fortnightly 'Learn to Fix' your bike sessions
- Engage with the local Ashington community to create bespoke cycle training packages, including women only, health rides
- Support both individuals and groups in the Ashington area to cycle safely and confidently
- Sell bike parts selling bike consumables including tyres, inner tubes, locks and lights at affordable prices
- Create monthly led bike rides with increased frequency in the summer cycling months
Why it's a great idea
The majority of our customers are economically deprived. Our beneficiaries will gain new life skills which:
- increase their confidence and boost socialisation
- break down barriers i.e. helping asylum seekers integrate with the local community
- boost mental and physical health
- providing a low cost means of local transport, saving the cost of bus fares or car ownership.
Our project will also attract people wishing to embrace cycling as a low carbon and sustainable form of transport.
By supporting new and returning cyclist the local environment will gain the benefits of:
- reduced congestion, better air quality
- less bikes and rubber going into landfill
- having access to a local bike repair shop whether using the bike for sport or as a mode of transport and not have to travel to neighbouring towns for repairs or consumables
We will recruit local staff and volunteers, supporting them to gain transferable employability skills, cycle maintenance, stock keeping and customer service.
Steps to get it done
- Acquire workshop and premises by April 24
- Recruit 4 volunteers
- Launch and promote Ashington cycle hub
- Work with the Ashington community to put on bespoke cycling activity for them
Through our cycle workshop and hub we will support individuals, schools, community groups and workplaces with cycling activity and bikes.
For Ashington schools we offer bespoke cycle training packages for your schoolchildren, teachers and carers during the school day or after school clubs. When combined with ‘Dr Bike’ fixing days or teaching children can learn to fix their own bikes so that their bikes can be maintained and fixed cost effectively.
For workplaces - we will help them to achieve carbon reduction targets and improved staff health and wellbeing through cycle training, journey planning and information and support on conventional and 'e' and cargo bikes.
For the local community, both individuals and community groups can access the workshop, tap into our local rides, cycle training, learn to fix sessions and cycle journey planning support.
Our workshop will be stocked with bike consumables i.e. cables, tyres, tubes, brakes, locks which anyone can purchase.
