News and Media
TFL Award Winner!
That’s a Wrap 2019!
Sustainable Cycles
UCL Collaborative Study 2019
Pro Bike Service CIC are incredibly fortunate to be a Community Partner of UCL, having just commenced a 12week Research/Evaluation project (BASc0030) around the impact of cycling as a non-clinical intervention in health
We are transforming stolen/recovered and abandoned bikes, plus a ton of new parts, into fully serviced bicycles thanks to our volunteer mechanics.
25 bikes will then be gifted to participants who do not currently cycle, their health monitored and a research paper written and published by UCL.
Although a small validation pilot, this study, if our theory of change is correct, may eventually result in cycling being prescribed as both a curative and preventative health intervention following a more in depth study in 2020/2021
Business as Unusual
In April 2019, our founder was interviewed by a tech company to co-found a new business – which had the potential to become a serious competitor.
It’s probably not customary when declining an offer, to spend the next six months sharing the I.P of your unique IT systems (especially those not yet physically realised), gifting design and training and working closely with the co-founder to help support their business…with the openness and non-commitment to receive programming and coding support in the future.
But then again, our business model is based on stewardship, not ownership and the co-founder, Jeyda Heselton, a trustworthy and diligent powerhouse, committed to growing urban cycling and driven to succeed at all costs. So happy to celebrate the Handlebars launch together after all the hard work her and her team put in! More about this here
Winning the Social Inclusion Pitch at the close of London Tech Week
We felt incredibly honoured to win the Social Inclusion Pitch at the close of London Tech Week in June 2019.
Our social enterprise only exists due to the massive support of our clients, beneficiaries, volunteers, partners, funders, friends and family – the whole community!
If you’re interested, you can read more about the pitch here on our founders LinkedIn page, and watch the full event here
Loughborough University London Collaborative Project 2018/19
We thoroughly enjoyed being one of Loughborough University London’s 2018/19 Collaborative Project Partner Organisations.
35 Students were assigned the challenging task of ‘Designing an Open Source IT Framework’ for our entire operations. The seven groups that formed delivered some truly incredible and insightful work, especially ‘Team A’ whose work was even mentioned by Professor Robert Allison, Vice-Chancellor and President, during the event in Plexal, March 2019
East London Innovators
Our Founder was recognised in 2018 as an East London Innovator – one of the 50 individuals who are driving innovation in East London. At the celebration event in February 2019, it was amazing to stand alongside individuals making such a positive impact within their organisation, community or business. People who are directly contributing to new ways or models of doing things, shaking the status quo and putting collaboration at the heart of their work. Panel Judges included; Katherine Oliver – Bloomberg, Theo Blackwell – Chief Digital Officer, London, Russ Shaw – Founder, Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates, Jules Coleman – Co-founder, Resi and Julian Blake – Editor, DigitalAgenda
Our Founder was honoured to be invited as guest speaker for #MOVE2019 at the London ExCel, sharing what the team at Pro Bike Service C.I.C are delivering and why our social enterprise was created
Two of our key volunteers, Graham Taylor-Burge and Kasia, ran a stall in the Startup Village and we garnered at lot of interest at this event. Sharing the same stage as Gary Fisher, creator of the Mountain Bike, was rather exciting too! Big thanks to wemakepictures for the photography!
2018 Festive Fundraiser
On 11th Dec 2018 we threw a wonderful party at Stour Space in Hackney Wick
In addition to raising funds, this was a great opportunity to thank our volunteers, our supporters, our corporate (and not-so-corporate) partners, TFL’s Cycling Grants London programme, and of course, all the community members who’ve believed in us, championed us and continue to support our work. With a stellar line-up of DJ’s, support from Camden Town Brewery and over £700 worth of raffle prizes, this was a party to remember!
Cycling Grants London
Case study write-up from Cycling Grants London – June 2018
A great write-up highlighting some of the work we do and why we do it
Many thanks to TFL’s Cycling Grants London programme, administered by Groundwork London who are supporting Pro Bike Service C.I.C. through their three-year grant award scheme. Of huge benefit (in addition to the finance) has been the training courses we’ve received – highly recommended!
Please check out some of the other amazing projects here
Bike Week 2018
A range of free offerings gifted for national Bike Week 2018, ranging from Bike Health Checks at the International Quarter London, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, to highly rated in-house Puncture Repair and Wheel Trueing workshops
(free events encouraging safe cycles in June 2018)
BBC Radio4 - Prayer for the Day
BBC Radio 4 – Prayer for the Day – 6th Feb 2018
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Alison Murdoch, a Tibetan Buddhist writer and former director of Jamyang Buddhist Centre in London
(the Gift Economy of Pro Bike Service and background story)
Bike renovation scheme offers support to refugees
TransportXtra – 17th Jan 2018
A bicycle training and servicing enterprise has launched an initiative to give refugees refurbished bikes and bike maintenance training
(supporting newly arrived Syrian Refugee families living locally)
Volunteers build a bike in a day at Mobile Garden City!
Engie – 26th Jul 2017
A ‘Build a Bike Workshop’ was organised with a local community bike social enterprise that has set up a brand new workshop at the same site as Mobile Garden City. The workshop involved a team of six people building a roadworthy vehicle, utilising a selection of parts including two donated bicycles from ENGIE
(corporate social responsibility event with Engie)