OWL Bikes is a Papworth Trust social enterprise based at the Cambridge Opportunities Without Limits day service. The project delivers a variety.  We support adults with learning disabilities to learn the skills to aid employability and work within the Cambridge community in the form of the OWL Bikes shop and outreach pop – up bicycle shops. 

There are two areas of OWL Bikes that require funding and they are as follows:

1. Employability skills / learning and training for adults with learning disabilities – up to five individuals attend OWL Bikes to develop the various skills required to work within the bicycle field in the future.  Skills like bike maintenance, customers service, stock taking, part recycling are just some of the skills that individuals develop.  These skills and this practical training opportunity put the adults with a learning disability who come to OWL Bikes with the real opportunity to gain employment and independence in the future.
2. Pop-up Bicycle Shops - the shop has recently received a grant to deliver community-based pop up shops which offer local bicycle repair and maintenance in four Cambridge villages.  We want to reach more people and communities with this work.

Objectives:

Employability skills – adults with learning disabilities will have the opportunity to develop the skills required to help them to a sustainable future.  The skills learnt will mean that employment becomes a very real option for them, alongside aiding their independence, wellbeing and reducing isolation.

Pop – up Bicycle Shops – by providing more pop up bicycle shops to local communities we will increase the likelihood of communities choosing environmentally friendly modes of transport whilst helping to improve community’s health and wellbeing.

Outcomes:

Together, the two elements of OWL Bikes will see the following outcomes; increased employment opportunity, increased skill development, improved health and wellbeing, improved independence, reduced loneliness and isolation.