On yer bike...
Sean Kehoe interviews Andy Suter about Space2’s Bike Club
When and how did the bike club start?
We started about 2 years ago at Space 2 on New King Street. It was a small project but we were aware that it had lots of potential. It is part of the Meaningful Occupation group which is part of Julian House, working with vulnerable adults. We have recently moved to larger premises at 35 Corn Street. At New King Street we were literally building and repairing bikes in the kitchen of Space 2 with no room to throw aspanner now we have a lot more room and everything is much more accessible.
What days and times are you open?
We are open Mondays 1-6pm and Fridays 9-3pm. Previously it was just Fridays but we have recently extended this and we are looking to increase the hours in the near future.
How do people get involved and who areallowed to come?
Anyone in service or ex service users can come along. People are often referred by an agency or hear about us from word of mouth. When people arrive we simply register basic details and off you go. It is avery friendly, fun atmosphere and the people who do come along really seem to enjoy it.
How is it funded?
Good question - Julian House fund us at the moment and have from the start. However we do have some good plans and are hoping to make some changes in the near future to help us become self funding.
Where do you get you bikes from?
Various sources. They are mainly donated from the very kind public and from the police. The Police have many bikes in the lost and found. The police hold these for approximately 6 weeks to see if they are reclaimed if not they can be claimed by the finder. If the finder does not contact the police they are given to the project and we gratefully receive them. We are of course always looking for more though.
Do you get any really good quality bikes/ What is the quality?
Yes we do get some really good ones. Lost and found bikes often have very little wrong with them. We also get bikes that have been left chained to railings in the city centre for a long time and some ofthese may only have a buckled wheel but the owner may have thought that’s it and never come back for it. We do get some very old ones donated and although these may be difficult to build back to a fully working bike we nearly always manage to
use something for parts and spares.
How does the ownership of the bikes work?
It used to be that someone could simply come down and choose a frame, work on it for a bit and it was theirs to take away. This has changed a little now. We are now called “Julian House Bike Recycle Workshop” and we encourage people to come in and help to work on bikes for the project and in return they will get their own bike to work on and it is theirs at the end.
Do you get many people coming along and are you looking for more people?
We get about 10-12 people sometimes other times it may only be 2 or 3 but are always happy to have more. We have a couple of die-hards, Chris Nash and Andy Evans who come along every session and are very knowledgeable and always on hand to help people.
Are you a keen cyclist?
No, not as much as I would like to be or should be. I have a bike at home but have not used it for six months. I am just glad to be helping the community and getting people involved. I am hoping to do a cycle ride in May/June though and any participants are welcome and bikes can be provided. Come down to 35 Corn Street to find out more or just come down anyway.
