Bike Project Surrey Settles in Nicely at Guildford College

Published on: 29 Nov, 2022
Updated on: 30 Nov, 2022

By David Rose

The Bike Project Surrey is settling into its new base on a site within Guildford College.

Operated by the charity Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership, it helps young people and adults who aren’t in work, education or employment to get work experience and learn to service and maintain bicycles. This can be for keeping their own bike on the road or getting ready for work in the bike industry.

Inside the Surrey Bike Project’s new workshop on the campus at Guildford College.

Key to its operation is the donation of unwanted bicycles that are refurbished and then sold to customers at affordable prices.

The project’s workshop and hub were located at Guildford Borough Council’s Woking Road Depot. However, due to the forthcoming huge Weyside Urban Village development scheme, the project was given notice to leave earlier this year.

As reported in our story in March 2022, it was feared the project might close if new accommodation could not be found.

Now, Activate Learning, that operates Guildford College in Stoke Road, has come to the rescue offering a home which the bike project moved into in September.

The new workshop and hub of the Surrey Bike Project.

The college says the offer of accommodation is part of its “ongoing commitment to supporting and collaborating with its local community”.

The new base comprises a workshop as well as a storage area for bicycles.

Speaking to The Guildford Dragon NEWS, Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership’s chief executive, Kevin Delf, said: “Although, the project has only moved about 500 yards as the crow flies, it was a new and logistically challenging experience.

“This included dismantling work benches, hiring lorries with cranes on board to move and re-locate storage containers, and moving tools, supplies and bicycles.

“Then re-establishing telephone and wi-fi, kitting out the workshop, and ordering new signs for the new site.

“We were fortunate in securing grant funding from the National Lottery Awards for All to cover some of the moving costs. We were also blessed with the generous support of 15 volunteers without whom this would have been impossible.

“Now, after a two-month pause in operations, we are keen to re-launch the project which is finally open for business again.

“One of our volunteers has re-vamped the website to make it easier for the people to contact the project to donate bikes, purchase affordable bikes in tip-top condition, or even to join our band of volunteers. It’s easy to find – simply google Bike Project Surrey – and there we are!

“By supporting the project, people will allow us to generate funds to support young people and adults to develop new skills, and to increase their confidence and employment prospects. They will also be helping to promote green sustainable transport as an option. And helping us to provide affordable transport by promoting cycling which is great for fitness and health.

“Guildford Philanthropy is hoping to support the project by helping us to find an E Van to make collections and offer outreach Doctor Bike (servicing and training) sessions.

From left: the chief executive of Activate Learning, Gary Headland, Surrey Bike Project trustee, Anne Rouse, and the chief exective of Surrey LifelongLearning Partnership, Kevin Delft.

The chief executive of Activate Learning, Gary Headland, said: “I am absolutely thrilled we are able to offer a new home to such a great local initiative that provides such a fantastic contribution to our local community.

“Bike Project Surrey’s commitment to sustainability and provide lifelong learning opportunities are so closely aligned to Activate Learning’s vision and the things that drive us, that this feels like a really great arrangement for us.

“We are so pleased to be able to step in and support our community in this way at a time of need. I believe this will be the beginning of a really fruitful relationship.”

The college says it is keen to work collaboratively with the project in terms of the possibility of progressing learners on to higher level courses based over at its Cycle Academy at sister college, Merrist Wood, in Worplesdon, as well as the potential of offering the college’s students a more eco-friendly and free mode of transport to and from their lessons.

Responses to Bike Project Surrey Settles in Nicely at Guildford College

Zoe Grainger Reply

November 29, 2022 at 1:08 pm

This is a fabulous project. Well done all concerned.
Bill Stokoe Reply

November 29, 2022 at 3:52 pm

Great move, good idea.