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Volunteering opportunities for the cycle-obsessed

(6 posts)
  • Started 1 day ago by Greenroofer
  • Latest reply from bakky
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. Greenroofer
    Member

    So I am in the fortunate position of being able to stop work for ever at the end of next week. I think the technical term is 'retiring', but I don't feel old enough to qualify for that.

    Anyhow. I'm looking for bicycle-related volunteering opportunities to fill my time. Please suggest some.

    Things I would like to do
    # Mend bikes. I'm quite good at that and have a fully-equipped bike workshop in the garage.
    # Ride bikes in a way that helps other people. (Obviously I already have grand plans for cycling for selfish reasons)
    # Analyse data about bikes, and write about that (Professional background in data analysis and visualisation)

    Things I don't want to do, as dealing with people isn't a top enthusiasm of mine
    # Teach people how to ride bikes (despite holding certifications as a trainer for both Adult Essential Cycling Skills and Bikeability...)
    # Work in a shop

    Advice, suggestions, and links to places looking for volunteers all welcome

    Posted 1 day ago #

  2. neddie
    Member

    Plenty of ideas in https://buttondown.com/edi.bike/archive/issue-153-13th-july-26/

    # Ride bikes in a way that helps other people

    Both the Goodies and another food waste initiative are looking for cargo bike riders to pick up food from small supermarkets that would otherwise go to waste and distribute to food banks.

    You pick an evening to ride, and do the round, always riding in pairs.

    There's a sign-up and training session tonight 6pm to 7pm at East Meadows play park (the big one)

    More details in the edi.bike article above

    Posted 1 day ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    Simple advice would be ‘don’t rush into anything’

    Do the “personal’ riding, see if there are current ‘opportunities’ for ‘domestic volunteering’

    Read some books

    Do a CV based on your post above. Initially for your own clarification then cut down for sending to organisations of your choice

    TBS has plenty of info -

    https://www.thebikestation.org.uk/volunteering

    It may or may not put you off

    https://www.bikesforrefugees.scot/news-blog-1/bike-mechanics-wanted is looking for volunteers in Glasgow, but presumably they will need more in Ed in coming decades…

    There are various other groups that do bikes in smaller ways

    Not suggesting you should start with ‘I’m available, impress me’, but there’s no point in working somewhere you didn’t feel ‘comfortable’ in whatever way, so maybe do some ‘secret shopping’ and/or open approach saying ‘these are my skills and time on offer, do you have anything suitable for someone looking for a long term commitment’?

    You mention your workshop. How about offering a ‘one off’ present of bike servicing to friends relations and neighbours?

    You may find your limit for fixing random bikes, or it could lead to (useful) offers of help in return

    Organisations like Spokes or Transform Scotland might like your data skills - even if they might not realise it

    Spokes has many years of commuter counts data. Generally they analyse and report it well, but there may well be useful ways of revisiting it all and add in car ownership (and vehicle size increase), bus passenger numbers, population, bike path/lane mileage etc

    An analysis of 50 years of change (Spokes is 50 next year) - policies, funding, promises, delivery etc might be interesting/depressing

    Some comparison (population and bike ownership/mileage) with other cities over last 20 years might be useful

    Stats will be available but establishing reliability/comparability might be challenging

    Enjoy

    Posted 12 hours ago #

  4. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Things I would like to do:
    # Mend bikes.

    Things I don't want to do:
    # Work in a shop

    Mending bikes except in a very voluntary capacity tends to involve dealing with people, although 'helping' people may be closer to the mark. There is Re-Cycles in Penicuik - basically a small, Midlothian version of the Bike Station - who would love to have more volunteers.

    You might want to consider whether mending bikes would stray too far towards 'job' than 'hobby'; I know a few people who left good jobs to each set up as an independent Bicycle Repairman! One worked for Volvo, one worked for Alstom, one worked for the Scottish Government. None of them seems to be the slightest bit minded to go back to those workplaces.

    Edward Tissiman does a lot with cycling data, and Robert Weetman does a lot with cycling policy. Maybe one of them would like an extra pair of hands?

    Posted 9 hours ago #

  5. bakky
    Member

    # Mend bikes. I'm quite good at that and have a fully-equipped bike workshop in the garage.

    It might be worth getting in touch with Gerry Timoney at ELREC. They have a huge amount of demand for bikes from new Scots and get a decent number of donations, and seems like they are a bit more laid back with the approach than Bikes for Refugees (who have a particular methodology / process they follow).

    Posted 5 hours ago #

  6. bakky
    Member

    # Ride bikes in a way that helps other people

    *cough cough* PoP27 Core Team Volunteering *cough cough*

    Posted 5 hours ago #

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