Author name: Anthony Lewis

Looking for a team day out with an incredible difference? Westminster Wheels provides a unique and fun volunteering experience for your staff!They’ll learn new skills in cycle maintenance and strengthen team relations. All while directly supporting the Westminster Community! A practical volunteering day will get your team refitting pre-loved and abandoned bikes. These will then be given away to charitable projects in Westminster – or sold in the shop to support our employment initiative! We’ll supply all the tools, training and bikes: you supply the awesome team! Together we’ll have the ultimate day. Whether you’re looking for a one-off team building day, or a longer term programme of activities to meet your Corporate Social Responsibility goals, Groundwork London can offer you a partnership that directly benefits London’s communities and the wellbeing of your employees. Our Westminster Wheels events are one of many offered by Groundwork. To register for a Westminster Wheels day and other events, fill out the form on their page here.

WESTMINSTER WHEELS MECHANIC SINCE 2023 I trained at Westminster Wheels since September 2023. I was studying music at university and graduated last summer, so I had a few months of… not having very much to do! I was getting really fed up with academia at the end of university, so I knew I needed something different and to see something else. I had a bike, which I really liked, and I used to fix it myself when I could. And I always enjoyed that. I live nearby so… Lots of wins! Day one was at the hub in Brixton, for an introduction to the City and Guilds training centre. It was fun to get to know the people. The longer that we spent together: the closer we got. I really miss my group now – really good fun! Transferring to the workshop was quite nice: seeing everything in real life… Things that didn’t actually work or weird bikes! When you’re doing your first six-month training; you do loads of stuff refurbishing the bikes downstairs, so if anything goes wrong (if you break something!) it doesn’t matter as much, because it’s not on someone’s bike! There were often times where it would be five of us with different scaffolding poles trying to undo seat posts or headsets or anything like that. So, it was quite funny! At the end of my six months, I got asked to stay on: I’m happy to be staying on at Westminster Wheels as a parttime Mechanic, while I go on to study viola at the Royal Academy of Music – an MMus qualification. I had a few consultation lessons with teachers there – the teacher sees if they’d like to teach you, and you see if you want to learn from them. One of the teachers said he likes fixing his cars and doing lots of technical stuff. He could see that it’s really useful that I have a technical brain and can really think through things in a quite removed way, which I thought was sort of interesting – and skills I got to reinforce here at Westminster Wheels!”

Get the best from your bike! Westminster Wheels Senior Mechanic Patrick shares his tech tip on how to test your chain for optimal city cycling! A simple tip, but it’ll give you a smoother, easier, safer ride! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more top tips from Patrick, Barny and team: https://www.youtube.com/@WestminsterWheels

WESTMINSTER WHEELS TRAINEE SINCE 2024 James, 40 years old, is a former ambulance driver who, after working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, started to suffer from severe depression and anxiety. James ended up being out of work and wanting to change careers without knowing where to go next. His advisors from Westminster Council supported James in finding work and recommended him to join the work placement at Westminster Wheels as a bike mechanic. “I was suffering with severe depression and anxiety. I didn’t know where I was going. I was just sort of in limbo doing nothing. And also, I just I had no self-worth. I was really struggling with my mental health. This work placement really helped me turn my life around and believe in myself again.” James told us he was a bit intimidated at first, but the friendly and supportive environment at Westminster Wheels helped him get out of his shell and feel comfortable around people again. “People like Barnaby and Tomasz and everyone around: they’ve just been so supportive and they’ve really helped me come away with the City and Guilds qualification as well.” “I was very nervous about doing the actual City and Guilds qualification course, but I really did enjoy every moment of it. And I would recommend it to as many people as I possibly could, because it was a great skill to have. And you can apply it in some really great ways.” One day, someone fainted in front of the Westminster Wheels shop. James managed to use his experience as an ambulance driver and first aider to support them. “I sprung into action and I saved her. I had to protect her, because she was hitting her head on the floor, and make sure airway was clear and all that. So then I did the handover with the paramedics to tell them what I witnessed.” “I just treat everybody like a human being. I don’t care about anything else. If I can help somebody, I always will.” James has completed his work placement with Westminster Wheels in August and is now employed at the Royal Opera House as TPC Lighting, where he used to work as a Stage Technician, several years ago.

What connects Suggs from Madness, the Swiss Alps, Wagner and Westminster Wheels? Ahhhh wouldn’t you like to know… Ride in STYLE! And also COMFORT and SAFETY… Westminster Wheels’ Barny shares his lived experience and top tips for gear changes. And also some Ska…

WESTMINSTER WHEELS TRAINEE SINCE 2022 Saffron Andrew was 22 when she joined Westminster Wheels back in 2022. She had been working, largely unhappy, in hospitality. Supported by her mum who wanted her daughter to find a better place to work, Saffron, who didn’t know much about bikes at all, seized the opportunity and signed-up to the work placement. “I had just finished my degree and I was working in restaurants. I’d had enough of working in a restaurant, so I was like: ‘I’ll give it a try, I’ll see what it’s like’. And I did! And I liked it!” Saffron’s past job experiences had been in a toxic environment, so she was surprised by the supportive and pleasant atmosphere during her six-month paid training at Westminster Wheels. “Working at Westminster Wheels showed me that a work environment shouldn’t be toxic but actively pleasant to be in. I think the manager sets the tone for how a workplace is and Barny had good energy!” “On my first day, I had to change some brake pads: and that’s something I’ve never done before. Of course, I was nervous, but it did feel a bit like a jigsaw puzzle when I was doing it!” Saffron didn’t used to own a bike. But working at Westminster Wheels has sparked a new interest. “I now I have two refurbished bikes! I have single speed and my plan is to build a back wheel for it.” “I worked at Westminster Wheels for a few months before I studied with Cycle Confident and I definitely think that experience of working before studying really helped me. I have now got my official City and Guilds certificate!” “At the end of my seven-month work placement at Westminster Wheels, on just my second job interview I got some good news: I got a job offer as a professional cycle mechanic at About the Bike!”

Here comes the London Cycling Campaign’s London Cycling Festival! In association with LIME, this month, temporary traffic-free playgrounds and more than 30 led rides mean fun for the whole family! Saturday, May 25th is the great Westminster day, so of course, Westminster Wheels will be on hand to help the day go with ZIP! Church Street will be transformed into ‘Play Street’ where you can meet our team as well as our friends and collaborators Joy Riders… And of course: Dr Bike will be making an appearance to check over your cycle for optimum FUN! https://lcc.org.uk/events/westminster-london-cycling-festival/

There’s a little secret our industry would rather you didn’t know. From shipping oil, packaging to mining and rubber production, to inbuilt obsolescence and sweatshops. Our industry has the potential to become a lot greener. Groundwork London’s project – Westminster Wheels is doing exactly that. It is working towards sustainability: old inner tubes are being sent back for recycling, used bikes are being refurbished – diverting them from landfill. They are looking to stock bike accessories that have less of an environmental impact. The oils and lubricants sold and used in-store are all from Green Oil and they are looking forward to offering a refill service, so these non-petroleum-based oils need less packaging. The Schwalbe tyres WW stocks are surprisingly Vegan (yes, many brands are not) and they are starting to use sustainable rubber on some models. Part of this mission is reflected in the branding. We are happy to share that the Westminster Wheels water bottles are now in stock. They are manufactured in Europe and are 100% biodegradable. You can now purchase them in store. Prices are pocket friendly too – small bottle £6.50, big bottle £7.50. Groundwork staff receive a 10% discount.