What is “Streets for People”?

Community Cycleworks is working hard to teach and enable local people to learn how to repair their own bikes at our workshop based-sessions and outreach bikefixes. These sessions are intended for those who work, study, or reside in Southwark.

This work is funded by Southwark Council as part of Streets for People, which supports cleaner air; safer and quieter streets with less traffic and fewer accidents and healthy travel options like walking, cycling or wheeling.

The workshop, a converted shipping container, that is now a fully functioning bike workshop, is located behind the walled area on Portland Street right next to the Michael Faraday School.

The Pop-up Workshop
Portland Street
SE17 2HR

Google maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7LwEetFqQYxCskxu5
What3Words: //ropes.event.wizard

We support people, young and old, to be able to fix their own bikes, lending tools, workstands and a qualified mechanic to guide them through the repairs. We know it takes longer this way… but that is the point. We help riders to become more self-sufficient. Small safety critical parts are covered as part of this project.

Open on a Friday afternoon between 3 and 6pm, we see more of a youth-focused audience, although adults can join us too. Also on Saturdays, between 10.30-midday for women and LGBTQ+, and then midday to 4.30pm for anyone to drop in. No booking is required currently, although this may be reviewed as we enter into the winter months.

We have a mix of female and male mechanics working with us, which helps to increase participation from often under-represented groups.

Through Streets for People we also run Fix-A-Bike, working with schools across Southwark to educate classes of up to 30 students (60 in a day), on how to carry out basic bike repairs and how to plan a cycle journey. We explore the benefits of increased cycle use to wider society and the health and wellbeing benefits to riders. We provide context to the cycle training that students receive elsewhere.

Our data shows that over 62% of students have never tried to carry out a repair before on their bikes before our workshop.

Students often report that the workshop has changed how they think about using a bike and that their confidence to try and repair for themselves has increased too.

The best part is the collective gasp from the classes when we compare journey times, with bikes often being the quickest.

These courses run in both primary and secondary schools, and can be modified to run in a workplace too. They are fun, fast paced and hands on.

Our outreach sessions see us bring mechanics, workstands, tools and some spares to a community space, or youth club. Following the same ethos of trying to put the tools in the hands of the participant.

If you are interested in hosting us to run a community outreach session, please drop us a line via our expression of interest form our homepage.

Find out more about Streets for People here.