Tools of trade

Surrey Bike project and Surrey Choices have initiated a bicycle work experience course.

Surrey Choices EmployAbility service has teamed up with Guildford Bike Project to offer 12-week work experiences places, to support disadvantaged or disabled customers to get ready for work or full-time volunteering. The Guildford Bike project takes in donations of unwanted bicycles from the local community, which are then up-cycled, whilst providing training, valuable life skills and work experience.

Through the project individuals will learn the mechanics of a bike, how to fix them, and the basics of running a shop, including ways to keep customers happy. Each participant will be able to keep the bike that they’ve been working on at the end of the project, experiencing the accomplishment of working for their very own bike. Bikes are also sold to members of the local community at an affordable price, providing a healthy transport option.

The work experience course is designed for people over the age of 18, in the Westborough area. David O’Connor, Surrey Choices Employment Support Officer said:

“It’s great to be able to welcome back this fantastic project, giving people the opportunities to gain valuable life skills as well as recycling old bikes in the area. As our third project at Guildford I’m sure it will be another phenomenal success. Over the past projects, the results have been outstanding and I hope we can continue to make a difference to many more of our customers’ lives.”

Surrey Choices supports a range of people to find the best care, activities and services for their needs across Surrey. EmployAbility is a dedicated service that helps to find work placements, training, volunteer opportunities and paid work. Surrey Choices Employbility also runs a job club, which supports individuals to find employment in the future, including helping to write their CVs, setting up email accounts, giving them basic IT skills, interview tips and help with finding a job.

Bicycles from the Guildford Bike Project can be purchased from The Bike Shop at 35 Dartmouth Avenue, Sheerwater, Woking, GU21 5PE.

To find out how you could get involved, contact David O’Connor, Surrey Choices Employment Support on 07713 479590 or email david.oconnor@surreychoices.com

Summary

In summary, we take in donations of unwanted bicycles from the general public and fix them up with the help of volunteers, NEETs and jobseekers, whilst at the same time providing training, life skills and work-based experience. We then sell the refurbished bikes to members of the local community for an affordable price, providing a healthy transport option. In addition, the income from sales of the bikes makes the project sustainable.

The enterprise will use refurbishment of donated bicycles to promote self-reliance and self-confidence by giving young people and jobseekers the opportunity to learn, acquire new skills and gain work experience. Each participant in the project will also experience the accomplishment of having earned a bike through their own work.

The learning and skills developed through the project will range from office and business skills to bike maintenance skills leading to accreditation. Two volunteers to the project are being trained to become tutors in the Lifelong Learning sector. Over time it may be possible for those who have developed in confidence and acquired bicycle maintenance qualifications to progress to courses offered by the local college in areas such as motor vehicle or plumbing.