In 2017, we raised a fantastic £30,716 for The Factory Youth Zone, enabling them to develop and sustain a new Bike to the Future project.

By offering training for young people aged 8 to 18 in basic bike mechanics, this project encourages employment, an interest in enterprise, health benefits of cycling, as well as providing the community with a facility for repairs, enhancing skills, confidence and wellbeing.

 As a result of your support this year, Bike to the Future will:

 • Offer young people the opportunity to increase confidence and transfer practical mechanical skills into the community

• Provide an opportunity to learn practical, accredited and transferrable skills

• Create new volunteer roles and a small number of part time jobs as trainee bike mechanics

• Build respect for, and ownership of, personal possessions

• Be an introduction to college, volunteering and self-employment

• Create a micro enterprise with part time jobs and an open service to the community

• Raise the positive profile of Factory Youth Zone and its members

 Those involved will be young people struggling at school or with no qualifications who face the most difficult transition into further education or work.

 Longer term, the project will help to raise aspirations of self-help in the community and provide a model for other enterprise initiatives.

For more information about The Factory Youth Zone please visit their website www.thefactoryyz.org