The idea
Established in 1977, St Paul’s is the only high tolerance hostel in Worcestershire. We work with some of the most vulnerable members of society; homeless men and women aged 18plus, all of whom are or have been homeless. They often arrive at the hostel with little or no personal possessions and certainly no financial means that afford them the luxury of transport. Therefore, in order for them to get out and about, they walk, occasionally use public transport (when their funds allow) but in the main, travel is done by bicycle with almost all of our residents either owning a bike or having access to ones that have been generously donated by the public. We encourage this mode of travel as much as possible for the positive impact it has on their health & well-being and also the environmental. It will provide a safe place to store their bikes; equipment & training to repair & maintain them & provide new skills and help build links with the community help reduce stigma attached to homeless
What we'll deliver
- Install a secure bike shelter to store bikes & provide maintenance area
- Purchase a bike repair station, tools and spares in order that they have the right resources to maintain & repair bikes
- Provide training & Peer Support to upskill & teach new skills
Why it's a great idea
We are currently in Phase 2 of an Essential Upgrade & Maintenance programme on internal & external areas of the hostel. This includes the development of the front of the hostel to create a welcoming & social area including landscaping to will provide therapeutic activities & training and a bike storage & maintenance shelter.
It is recognised that there is potential for this project to develop into a larger project/social enterprise that would support training and employment opportunities and generate income to further support the work of the hostel and the lives of our beneficiaries. This project would therefore also enable us to identify the need and the market for development.
Steps to get it done
- Installing bike shelter
- Purchase equipment required to deliver the programme
- Commence basic bike maintenance training to residents
- Liaise with Police to develop community Bike Marking sessions
- Liaise with police & community groups to develop bike maintenance to the public
- Deliver accredited training to those who express interest
- Link with cycle groups for anyone who expresses interest in furthering this as a hobby and/or sport
St Paul's has been successful in securing funding to develop the landscaping and social area, therefore seek funding for the Bike Maintenance programme only. We have links with a bike mechanic who will volunteer to teach basic bike mechanics as well as contact with an accredited trainer who can provide formal training to those who express interest to securing a qualification.
We aim to engage with local police and community to host bike marking and maintenance sessions open to the public & make relevant links to obtain broken bikes for repair & redistribution to those who are in need.
