What We Do
We provide skilled bicycle maintenance and sell high quality reconditioned bikes and vintage bikes. We have a good reputation in the town a for reliable and affordable service. We do not buy bicycles to protect us from handling stolen goods but we do accept donations. The project is open for anyone whose interested to get involved and learn the skills of cycle mechanic.
We have a number of volunteer helpers including, Robin, (aged 71), Josh and Alistair, who are A-level students with a keen interest in bikes. For the last 3 years we have been working with the charity Sustrans to provide 'Dr Bike' free maintenance in local schools as part of the NHS Healthy Schools initiative.
Over the years Spindles has saved 100s of bikes from going into scrap/landfill and has provided cost effective transport alternative for local people.
What We Need
We currently do not have a location and so are looking for a small room/building that would serve as a community bike shop that would be open on Saturdays. It would need to be secure at it would store tools and stock during the week.
Benefits for Community
Corsham and the surrounding area has experienced a visible growth in the popularity of cycling, which is helped in part by the well signposted and maintained Sustrans route 254 which passes through the town. There is currently no bike shop and so Spindles can meet this need.
Background
Spindles and Sprockets Bike project ('Spindles' for short) is a Not For Profit community project set up in 2009 in Corsham by three cycle enthusiasts when the town’s bike shop owner retired. We (Nicholas Brakspear, Richard Moulton, Tim Lammin and Edgar Stringer) provide convenient, reliable and cost effective bicycle maintenance to Corsham and the surrounding towns and villages on Saturday mornings.
Spindles was initially launched at Corsham’s Pound Arts Centre where it was based for over 2 years. During that time it attracted a range of people to the Arts Centre. It became a social focal point for local cyclists: from serious lycra-clad sports riders, stopping for coffee and pit stop repairs, to local school children needing a BMX puncture fixed. The Saturday morning workshop was a year round success.
During our tenure at the Pound Arts Centre, staff recorded an increase not only in café trade but also increased interest in its other events and services. At the end of 2011 the Pound Arts Centre obtained the long awaited funds needed to develop the building spindles occupied and thus Spindles and Sprockets moved to the Corsham Community Centre where we were for over 2 years. Unfortunately our move to the community centre came after the plans for the new community campus had been put in place so we were unable to secure a position in the new campus.
No comments:
Post a Comment