New cycle base in Homerton

It's arrived.
Last Friday 7th February 2014, about nine years after the idea was first dreamt of (worth having - worth waiting for) our bike store & workshop space was delivered at the Concorde Centre Youth Club on Kingsmead Estate.
This part of Hackney now has a solid, secure & safe metal box for tools, bikes and our renewable energy power system to be supplied by Magnificent Revolution. Over the next weeks and into the spring, this facility will be stocked and supplied with what it needs to serve as a quality training space where members of the community will be able to access structured cycle maintenance and cycle riding sessions.Hackney Marsh Partnership (HMP) and Young Hackney (YH) have been supporting this development with HMP providing the ground space while YH manages key delivery staff.
A healthy number of interested stakeholders has been formed who have been meeting regularly to discuss how to manage and run bike clubs from here. 

   

 

This weekend a new shipping container to serve local cycling needs for the area of Clapton Park and Kingsmead estates has been delivered and placed into the Concorde Centre Youth Club yard.  It's been a long time coming. The funding for this was sourced by Interlinkx CiC back in 2008, It came from the REAP grant scheme that was made available to the locality as a way of balancing the loss of the South Marsh to make way for the 2012 London Olympic car park. The original plan was to set up a development facility for skate boarding and cycling activities under the East Cross flyover at the eastern side of Mabley Green on Lea Conservancy Road. This project got shelved  due to a late planning permission issue but happily a centre will open close by; The project under the flyover was to be named 'The Bridge' '

This new space will be hub for cycling enthusiasts to access cycle mechanic training and a meeting place to go on organised, structured cycling trips and tailored to suit coaching sessions for all abilities and ages. This place is set to serve as a day to day cycling facility and a launch pad for those heading over to the soon to be opened Lea Valley VeloPark that is just up the road. 

  

Keir Apperley (Interlinkx CiC)

News on project bikes

The cupboard is bare...

Interlinkx CiC has ordered 20 second hand cycles to be supplied by Bike Works from Bethnal Green. They will need a clean & service when they arrive. The plan is for our members to work in pairs to restore half of these to good working order. These are to become fleet cycles that will live at the Fawcett Garage 8 for our spring & summer rides out and for community use on loan. Each bike will be branded and numbered. 
Members who have completed their positive contribution will be eligible to work on restoring their own cycle from what remains.

If it's gonna get cold outside - PVC Curtain

During the session last week we put up our new industry standard PVC curtain. This will keep our workspace warm and more like it during the colder weeks we're sure to have soon.

Xmas party pictures

Many thanks to Sonia Bradley of Hackney Homes, CC Hackney's volunteers and Giuliana Molinari of Core Arts for providing plenty to make sure that the CC Hackney & Interlinkx CiC youth xmas party went so well.

Win-win situation.

When a local catering magnate approached the Fawcett club asking if we could supply an unrideable machine for some temporary promotion we were happy to oblige.

Not all the cycles we collect are worth rebuilding and putting back into service as vehicles, but this ancient Carlton road frame - which has a new life as a temporary hoarding - produced a small, but not inconsiderable, donation to club funds.

Happy holidays to one and all, and if you find yourself in Ealing Broadway Maggie's Cafe Bar opens 9/1/14.

History lesson - many happy returns

Fawcett Bike club is set-up nicely for the xmas social tomorrow afternoon at Core Arts HQ in a joint party with Cycling Club Hackney. During tonight's session an original club member stepped in for a visit. Keshaun now 21 came in with his bike that was in need of a tune up and a squirt of WD40. Our lad is now working in youth development (Immediate Theatre & Voice of Youth) he is also coming along tomorrow where we are to talk more about the idea of him joining the team in order to get another session at Fawcett underway. We're thinking a Saturday morning bike club at 10am...look out for this one in 2014. 

Fawcett bike club xmas party with CC Hackney

Fawcett bike club xmas party with CC Hackney, film show, DJ, hot food & juicy drinks; free for members. Consent forms and travel information for young members (FYBMC & CC Hackney) will be available soon.