Green community cycling hub Bikeworks won England Best New Social Enterprise
Last updated 12/3/2009 3:26:41 PM
Bikeworks' Jim Blakemore and Dave Miller explaining one of their creations to third sector minister Angela Smith
Cycling enterprise Bikeworks have won “Best New Social Enterprise” for England in the 2009 Social Enterprise Awards. The recognition places London a step closer to becoming a pro-active cycle city such as Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam.
The award was presented by Prime Minister Gordon Brown on November 19, Social Enterprise Day, at a special reception at Downing Street.
The Social Enterprise Awards find and reward the best social enterprises in the UK, and are run by the Social Enterprise Coalition. Social enterprises are businesses run for social and environmental purposes. There are approximately 62,000 social enterprises in the UK contributing at least £24bn to the UK economy.
Bikeworks is a Community Interest Company based in Tower Hamlets, East London. The organisation began trading in 2007 with the intention of using cycling to tackle environmental, social & economic challenges in London.
It operates a ‘community cycling hub’ from where they deliver a number of cycling based programmes. These include employment and training opportunities for the long-term unemployed, cycling for health, all-ability cycling for disabled people, bike recycling and sales & repairs to the public.
Nigel, 54 a graduate from Bikeworks ‘cycle into work’ programme for those experiencing homelessness has now starting his own cycling business ‘Squeaky Chains’. He said, “Bikeworks has turned my life around. They have helped me to realise a dream. With their help, after 4 months I have become a qualified cycle mechanic, a cycling instructor, and with their knowledge and experience I am now setting up my own bicycle business. Bikeworks has supported me and my partners 100%.”
Bikwworks have grown exponentially over a three-year period. Working in 4 of the Olympic boroughs in East London and with strategic partners such as local Primary Care Trusts, Crisis the homeless charity and the London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest, Bikeworks has developed a successful and sustainable business model.