How To...
How To...
ABOUT
Our mission is to turn your old bikes into opportunities for our youth. We believe every young person needs a bike and young riders tend to stay riding as adults, which is great for the environment. But some young people and their families just can’t afford it. It’s a simple idea – we find unwanted bikes, train young people to do them up, and make them more accessible.
We have a fully equipped cycle workshop in the heart of Stroud, open to young people aged 13-24 for workshop time, peer and mentor support, cycle safety and personal development courses and just a cool environment to hang out. But don't worry, we also provide volunteer opportunities for our wiser elders - just check out Nick's story!
Anyone is welcome to drop in and visit our workshop on Thursdays between 2 and 6pm! We have an inclusive environment, where all members of the community have proven to fit in and make themselves an asset to the project. If there's anything we can't turn into a bike to ride or sell, we can use our collective creativity to create beautiful upcycled art, from belts to lights!
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If you're new or would like a quieter session for any reason, please book a slot to come and visit during one of our Tuesday 2-6pm sessions.
What can you get ? You can join in and Earn A Bike, you can buy an affordable reconditioned bike, you can make and share all sorts of cool recycled art and stuff. All while meeting some exciting new people who think bikes are the bizz!
‘’We have such an awesome mix of people of all ages, from all backgrounds joining us daily at the workshop, it has proven to really bring people together’’ - Alfie Stephens, Project Founder
The Team
These are the guys who have make the project tick over the years! Some ride bikes, some mend bikes, some do mentoring, some build chandeliers, but they have all given more to the project than they've taken and without them it wouldn't be the same! Click on their pictures to read their stories!
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James Beecher
Project Manager
Emlyn Bainbridge
Workshop Lead
Cai Shaw
MECHANIc
Harry Mckeown
Workshop Lead
Alfie Stephens
Project Founder
Nick Kirby
Volunteer
Lily Haines
Volunteer
Raplh Armond
VOLUNTEER
Kamil Rybinski
VOLUNTEER
where did it all begin ?
The Access Bike Project did some amazing things in its first couple years and we helped teens from local secondary schools get themselves a bike, with the complete package. Lights, lock and a helmet! This worked out great and we got over 100 bikes out where they were needed. This helped people cycle to school, get a job and become more independent. But before long, the project outgrew its space and also showed a few hiccups - for example, the kids we were helping couldn’t afford to get a puncture fixed and didn’t know how to do it themselves!
So we had a new goal! we decided we wanted to teach kids to fix bikes themselves. And provide and safe, inclusive space where they can have a go using the tools and fixing their own bikes. We were always being donated more bikes than we had space for so we decided to open up the Access Bike Workshop. A new bigger space! This is a place where anyone can drop in and learn all things bike, we even offer an ‘Earn A Bike’ scheme, where people can earn a bike through volunteering. Its been a snowball of excitement ever since opening the workshop in October 2016, we've...
Ridden from Bath to Paris in the name of charity!
Competed in a crazy raft race!
Learnt to make amazing up-cycled chandeliers!
Built up confidence and raised expectations through our mentor work!
And much more...
Won the Stroud Life award for Best Community Project!
''We have such a laugh, when we all get together, someone comes up with an idea and we just swing with it! I'm holding the current title for Mini Bike Racing and can't wait for someone to challenge me in the next mini grand prix! '' - Noah Dougherty - Volunteer