The Bike Barn is the latest venture for Informal Learning. The Bike Barn is an innovative and educative project aimed at young people of all ages whom for whatever reason may not be engaging well in full time education, at home or in their communities, providing bike maintenance programs, cycling proficiency and organised bike rides

Aims:

• To develop young people’s practical skills that are directly transferable to the market place, other learning opportunities and the communities in which they live.
• To develop young people’s social and emotional skills enabling them to make positive choices, raise their aspirations and interrelate better with others.
• To improve young people’s health, wellbeing and an overall sense of self worth.

Although programmes can be personalised and tailored to individual requirements, they typical consist of groups of four young people, taking part in 2 hour sessions per week over a period of 8-10 weeks.

Young people will learn about bike maintenance and will salvage, repair, re-spray and rebuild a bike of their own which they can take home once it’s finished.

Such activities help young people to develop, demonstrate and be rewarded for practical skills that are easily transferrable into more formal educational and vocational settings.

It can also help change their views on learning in general and also links in to aspects of the school curriculum.

It promotes healthier lifestyles and a clean environment by encouraging cycling as a mode of transport and enjoyment.