driving social change through business from the street to the workplace with a bicycle
TRANSCRIPT
Driving Social Change through business
From the street to the workplace with a bicycle
‘Our mission is to change peoples lives
using cycling’
Our areas of work
Employability:Supporting disadvantaged people into employment
Health:Improving health and well being of the disadvantaged mental health & disability
Environment :‘re-use’ of abandoned
bicycles.
Company profile
• Opened up in Spring 2008
• Commercial and social impact opportunity was there
• Engaged and supported over 15000 people
• Supported 150 disadvantaged individuals into employment
• Re-used 7000 bicycles
• Turnover now grown to £1 800 000 (of which 85% earned
income)
• 35 full time staff
• Work across London and south east of England
1. Training – cycle mechanics
Three business streams
2. Consumer – retail shops
3. b2b cycling services
Financial model
Financial model
20%
35%15%
15%
15%
Turnover 2013 £1 500 000
gov contracts
retail
b2b
grants
training
The Cycle into Work ProgrammeAn innovative work-based training programme for disadvantaged people.
Graduates leave the programme with qualifications, a set of their own tools and a whole new set of employment prospects.
Engagement Development Employment
Bike mechanics skills for disadvantaged people to build their own bike. Trainees ‘earn’ a bike.
Bikeworks employment pathwayfor disadvantaged people
Build a Bike
vocational training programme for people who have experienced disadvantage.
Cycle into Work
Pathways and support to secure paid employment for graduates
Work
Cycle into work film
Supportive learning & work environment – learning by doingBikeworks provides a professional but supportive environment which helps to ensure trainees feel comfortable whilst building in positive working behaviour (timekeeping, interpersonal skills)
Rapid up-skillingStudents become motivated and feel rewarded as they quickly develop technical & customer service skills.
Personal developmentAn intensive focus on personal development is key with regular workshops on interpersonal skills, teamwork, dealing with conflicts etc. Participants report an increased sense of well-being, a renewed sense of purpose and the desire and motivation to find fulfilling work.
Working as part of a teamParticipants make an active and valued contribution to a working enterprise from day one. Importantly this is key in helping to build confidence and self worth.
Work prospects in a growing marketThe UK’s growing cycling industry provides graduates opportunities to find employment
Why it works?
460 homeless people have built their own bicycle through Build a Bike
223 students have graduated from Cycle into Work
65% graduate-employment success rate
150 Graduates into employment
Social outcomes
Outcomes since Jan 2010
Engagement Development Employment
Training and employment outcomes
460 homeless people
have built their own bicycle through Build a Bike
223 individuals have
graduated from Cycle into Work as qualified mechanics and/or cycle instructors
150 Cycle into Work
graduates are in employment
Joshua completed Build a Bike at Crisis in Feb 2010.
He graduated from CIW May 2010.
Joshua is now one of Bikeworks best members of staff
Valentin graduated from CIW in June 2011.
Following graduation, he started a voluntary work placement at Bikeworks.
Following Build a Bike, Wayne graduated from Cycle into Work in December 2012.
Wayne has a job with the TFL/Barclays London Cycle Hire Scheme. In May 2010 he successfully
applied for a position at the TFL/ Barclays London Cycle Hire Scheme where he now works as a Mechanical Technician.
In March 2011, Fabiano commenced Bikeworks Build a Bike course at the Dellow Centre (a homeless centre in east London).
Following Build a Bike, Fabiano went on to graduate from Cycle into Work as a Cytech techincal 2 mechanic.
Fabiano is now employed as a mechanic in Bikeworks workshop and as a Dr. Bike mechanic.He is also working for ‘Cycle Surgery’ in the City as a mechanic.
Transforming people’s lives
One year on, Fabiano is a Build a Bike trainer, training homeless people about the intricacies of bike mechanics from the same day centre he started at.
Build a Bike
Employment
Cycle into
Work
Graduate success story:
Damian, Bikeworks sales staff
‘I left home at the age of 6 due to domestic circumstances, and was from that point a ‘looked after child’ under social services. I then moved into my Grandparents house.
From the age of 9 I got involved in gangs in my area, and into a life of drugs and crime. In the 3-4 years I was involved I lost many friends and people close to me due to gang related violence. I managed to step away from that lifestyle thanks to my girlfriend and another of her close friends, who showed me a different life and a different possible future, it was at time I made the decision to get out of gang life.
At 16 I got into freestyle BMX. This gave me a whole new focus and passion for riding and a love of bicycles. I looked for jobs but kept getting turned down as I had no previous experience. I heard about the course at Bikeworks which sounded ideal and was delighted to be accepted.
Cycle into Work was great. I learned a lot about bikes and a lot about myself. During the course I met really inspiring people like my tutor and people who had been through situations like mine. The last 4 months at Bikeworks has been the best experience of my life.
My dream is to start my own bike business. ‘.
460 bikes built
by and for homeless people
223qualified graduates
employed graduates150
Jelil Mechanic Bikeworks/ Vintage Bike CaveJohn Full-time mechanic BikeworksSilvio Setting up ‘Bike Man’ businessFabiano Cycle mechanics trainer and Dr. Bike mechanic. Cycle Surgery mechanicDiego Mechanic, Evans Cycles & cycle instructorNigel Mobile mechanic & social entrepreneurRaoul Build a Bike instructorStewart Volunteer at Crisis bike drop-inGlenn Mechanic BikeworksAino Working in catering full-timeNicholas Cycle courierKeith Mechanical Technician Barclays/TFLModris Customer Service Operative Barclays TFL Frank Working as a mechanic for Cycle Care RBKCRicardo Employed in cateringFrankie Restoring classic cycles at Sargent and CoValentin Mechanical Technician Barclays/TFLTony Customer Service Operative Barclays TFL Ana Dr. Bike mechanic for Cyclodelic Aurea Mechanical Technician Barclays/TFLDominic Customer Service Operative Barclays TFLTristan Bikeworks Mechanic, Trainer Squeaky Chains
Getting hard-to-reach people back to work
£567k
average lifetime cost of long-term unemployed individual*
£10k average cost of getting a long term unemployed individual back into
work†
£3k average cost of getting a long term unemployed individual back into work via
Bikeworks*Based on incapacity benefit plus loss of tax contribution. Excludes health costs
Skilled & motivated staff with detailed referencesCycle into work graduates have a City & Guilds level 2 in bicycle mechanics and customer service along with at least 3 months work experience & detailed, recent reference
Opportunity to ‘mould’ newly motivated traineesCIW graduates are highly motivated at the time of graduation representing an ideal opportunity to achieve a strong return by investing and developing new staff
Cost effective recruitment toolRecruiting through CIW enables employers to recruit a potentially large number of staff through a single source
ScalableCycle into work has the potential to achieve significant scale through integration with government finance for e.g apprenticeships / work programme
Builds staff diversityEnsures diversity in the workforce by opening up recruitment to new communities
Helps to achieve wider social impactCycle into work helps to change the lives of disadvantaged people. Engaging CIW as part of a socially responsible recruitment policy helps to change the lives of the disadvantaged
Why it works for Business?
Commercial Partners
Corporate Social Innovation
Going beyond CSR – CSI is the future
Social Enterprises can help to drive corporate social innovation
Maximising social impact through commercial partnerships
Meeting business needs changes the equation – no longer a charitable ask
Commercial partnerships & achieving scale
Lessons from the early days
Footloose and fancy free
Be entrepreneurial (but don’t try and do everything)
Low overheads & cash flow is key
Start to deliver early – build revenue streams and test your model
Achieving credibility – getting the first big customer
Being new can become a strength
Growing up
Before you can scale you have to be ready:
1. Process / Systems must be right
2. Be able to prove your impact
3. Professional inside & out – build your brand
4. Building the right team – recruitment, moving towards specialisation
5. Strong focussed business model – making a profit
Personal lessons
Enjoy the journey, change keeps you fresh
Being self aware about your own strengths and weaknesses –build a team that fits
Leadership – ‘Chief Encouragement Officer’
Being comfortable with uncertainty
Focus on the things you can control not what you can’t
