From the street to the workplace with a bicycle

Employability:
Supporting disadvantaged people into employment
Environment
:
‘re-use’ of abandoned bicycles.
Health:
Improving health and well being of the disadvantaged mental health & disability

• Opened up in Spring 2008
• Commercial and social impact opportunity was there
• Engaged and supported over 15000 people
• Supported 150 disadvantaged individuals into employment
• Re-used 7000 bicycles
• Turnover now grown to £1 800 000 (of which 85% earned income)
• 35 full time staff
• Work across London and south east of England

Turnover 2013 £1 500 000
15%
20%
15%
15% 35% gov contracts retail b2b grants training

An innovative work-based training programme for disadvantaged people.
Graduates leave the programme with qualifications, a set of their own tools and a whole new set of employment prospects.

Build a Bike
Bike mechanics skills for disadvantaged people to build their own bike.
Trainees ‘earn’ a bike.
Cycle into Work vocational training programme for people who have experienced disadvantage.
Work
Pathways and support to secure paid employment for graduates

Supportive learning & work environment – learning by doing
Bikeworks provides a professional but supportive environment which helps to ensure trainees feel comfortable whilst building in positive working behaviour (timekeeping, interpersonal skills)
Rapid up-skilling
Students become motivated and feel rewarded as they quickly develop technical & customer service skills.
Personal development
An intensive focus on personal development is key with regular workshops on interpersonal skills, teamwork, dealing with conflicts etc. Participants report an increased sense of well- being, a renewed sense of purpose and the desire and motivation to find fulfilling work.
Working as part of a team
Participants make an active and valued contribution to a working enterprise from day one.
Importantly this is key in helping to build confidence and self worth.
Work prospects in a growing market
The UK’s growing cycling industry provides graduates opportunities to find employment

460 homeless people have built their own bicycle through Build a Bike
223 students have graduated from Cycle into Work
65% graduate-employment success rate
150
Graduates into employment
Outcomes since Jan 2010

460 homeless people have built their own bicycle through Build a Bike
Joshua completed Build a Bike at Crisis in
Feb 2010.
He graduated from CIW May
2010.
Joshua is now one of Bikeworks best members of staff
223 individuals have graduated from Cycle into Work as qualified mechanics and/or cycle instructors
Following Build a
Bike, Wayne graduated from
Cycle into Work in
December 2012.
Wayne has a job with the
TFL/Barclays
London Cycle Hire
Scheme.
150
Cycle into Work graduates are in employment
Valentin graduated from CIW in June
2011.
Following graduation, he started a voluntary work placement at
Bikeworks.
In May 2010 he successfully applied for a position at the TFL/ Barclays
London Cycle Hire Scheme where he now works as a Mechanical
Technician.

In March 2011, Fabiano commenced Bikeworks Build a
Bike course at the Dellow Centre
(a homeless centre in east
London).
Cycle into
Work
Build a Bike
Following Build a Bike,
Fabiano went on to graduate from Cycle into Work as a
Cytech techincal 2 mechanic.
One year on, Fabiano is a Build a
Bike trainer, training homeless people about the intricacies of bike mechanics from the same day centre he started at.
Employment
Fabiano is now employed as a mechanic in Bikeworks workshop and as a Dr. Bike mechanic.
He is also working for ‘Cycle
Surgery’ in the City as a mechanic.

Damian, Bikeworks sales staff
‘I left home at the age of 6 due to domestic circumstances
, and was from that point a ‘looked after child’ under social services. I then moved into my Grandparents house.
From the age of 9 I got involved in gangs in my area, and into a life of drugs and crime. In the 3-4 years
I was involved I lost many friends and people close to me due to gang related violence. I managed to step away from that lifestyle thanks to my girlfriend and another of her close friends, who showed me a different life and a different possible future, it was at time I made the decision to get out of gang life.
At 16 I got into freestyle BMX. This gave me a whole new focus and passion for riding and a love of bicycles. I looked for jobs but kept getting turned down as I had no previous experience. I heard about the course at Bikeworks which sounded ideal and was delighted to be accepted.
Cycle into Work was great. I learned a lot about bikes and a lot about myself. During the course I met really inspiring people like my tutor and people who had been through situations like mine. The last 4 months at Bikeworks has been the best experience of my life.
.
My dream is to start my own bike business. ‘

460 bikes built by and for homeless people

223 qualified graduates

150
Jelil
John
Silvio
Mechanic Bikeworks/ Vintage Bike Cave
Full-time mechanic Bikeworks
Setting up ‘Bike Man’ business
Fabiano Cycle mechanics trainer and Dr. Bike mechanic. Cycle Surgery mechanic
Diego
Nigel
Raoul
Stewart
Mechanic, Evans Cycles & cycle instructor
Mobile mechanic & social entrepreneur
Build a Bike instructor
Volunteer at Crisis bike drop-in
Glenn
Aino
Mechanic Bikeworks
Working in catering full-time
Nicholas Cycle courier
Keith
Modris
Mechanical Technician Barclays/TFL
Customer Service Operative Barclays TFL
Frank Working as a mechanic for Cycle Care RBKC
Ricardo Employed in catering
Frankie Restoring classic cycles at Sargent and Co
Valentin Mechanical Technician Barclays/TFL
Tony Customer Service Operative Barclays TFL
Ana
Aurea
Dr. Bike mechanic for Cyclodelic
Mechanical Technician Barclays/TFL
Dominic Customer Service Operative Barclays TFL
Tristan Bikeworks Mechanic, Trainer Squeaky Chains

average lifetime cost of long-term unemployed individual*
average cost of getting a long term unemployed individual back into work † average cost of getting a long term unemployed individual back into work via Bikeworks
*Based on incapacity benefit plus loss of tax contribution. Excludes health costs

Skilled & motivated staff with detailed references
Cycle into work graduates have a City & Guilds level 2 in bicycle mechanics and customer service along with at least 3 months work experience & detailed, recent reference
Opportunity to ‘mould’ newly motivated trainees
CIW graduates are highly motivated at the time of graduation representing an ideal opportunity to achieve a strong return by investing and developing new staff
Cost effective recruitment tool
Recruiting through CIW enables employers to recruit a potentially large number of staff through a single source
Scalable
Cycle into work has the potential to achieve significant scale through integration with government finance for e.g apprenticeships / work programme
Builds staff diversity
Ensures diversity in the workforce by opening up recruitment to new communities
Helps to achieve wider social impact
Cycle into work helps to change the lives of disadvantaged people. Engaging CIW as part of a socially responsible recruitment policy helps to change the lives of the disadvantaged

Going beyond CSR – CSI is the future
Social Enterprises can help to drive corporate social innovation
Maximising social impact through commercial partnerships
Meeting business needs changes the equation – no longer a charitable ask
Commercial partnerships & achieving scale

Footloose and fancy free
Be entrepreneurial (but don’t try and do everything)
Low overheads & cash flow is key
Start to deliver early – build revenue streams and test your model
Achieving credibility – getting the first big customer
Being new can become a strength

Before you can scale you have to be ready:
1. Process / Systems must be right
2. Be able to prove your impact
3. Professional inside & out – build your brand
4. Building the right team – recruitment, moving towards specialisation
5. Strong focussed business model – making a profit

Enjoy the journey, change keeps you fresh
Being self aware about your own strengths and weaknesses – build a team that fits
Leadership – ‘Chief Encouragement Officer’
Being comfortable with uncertainty
Focus on the things you can control not what you can’t