Our week-long Bike Your Own Bike courses are for people who face additional barriers in the employment market. These courses are designed to support people in building aspiration, motivation and self-confidence, while also providing a low-cost and sustainable transport option to facilitate their journey towards work.
The course is available for free to the following groups of people (if you are unsure if you meet the criteria, don’t hesitate to get in touch):
- Young people not in education, employment or training (16-24yrs)
- Individuals who are (or have previously been) experiencing homelessness
- Those with long-term physical and mental health conditions
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- People over the age of 65
- Women and non-binary people
Over the course of five days, participants will build up a bicycle whilst learning practical techniques for maintaining and repairing their bikes. The bicycle is then theirs to keep at the end of the week.
“This course got me focused on something new and got me away from the constant circle of everyday problems. Build Your Own Bike had me waking up excited for the day, and I am happy for the chance to be doing this.”
– Previous participant Lewis
Feedback from previous courses has shown us that:
- 91% of participants have reported an increase in their confidence
- 94% of participants have reported an increase in skills
- 80% of participants have achieved accredited learning
- 81% of participants across the programme have reported an increase in wellbeing
- 80% of participants continue to use their bike as their main mode of travel.
All staff are members of the PVG scheme and have several years of experience working with young people in a variety of settings. Our procedures and risk assessments are all available on request and will be shared with participants prior to the course. You can also view our safeguarding policy here.
The courses run 10 am-4 pm Monday – Friday in our dedicated training space at the South Hub. No previous mechanical experience is necessary, and we can cover travel costs where this is a restrictive barrier, please let us know during registration.
We have available Build Your Own Bike courses throughout the year. If you or someone you know would benefit from the course, email our Training and Employability team (iain.walker@bikeforgood.org.uk) to discuss your referral or fill out THE REFERRAL form.
We ask that participants make a planned visit to Bike for Good before their course starts. This allows them to know how to get here, meet the team, and get a better understanding of what is involved. We know that a pre-course visit really helps with putting people at ease.
