New Forest Brilliance in Business Awards 2022: A&T-sponsored charity award shortlist – New Forest Bike Project

FOR the past six years, Louis Bonney has been helping the people of the New Forest get on their bikes.

After more than 25 years working in the youth charity sector, Louis decided he wanted to be his own boss and find a way to help people live greener, healthier lives.

Thus the New Forest Bike Project was born in 2016, with a remit to help people get out of their cars and travel in a way that is better for the environment and easier on the wallet.

The initiative restores and repairs between 10 and 12 bikes each week – often saving them from ending up in landfill sites – and teaches people how to maintain bikes for themselves.

Set up as a community interest company (CIC), it often provides its services to people for free and runs programmes with local schools to teach pupils how to keep their own bikes roadworthy.

Louis told the A&T: “Back in 2016 I had reached a certain age, shall we say, and had left the charity sector.

“I had been working with bikes my whole life, fixing and repairing them, and I took that time as an opportunity to combine my long charity experience with my passion for bikes.

“I also didn’t really want to work for anyone else.”

Louis secured start-up funding for the bike project from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, which covered the first 18 months of operational costs and, said Louis, gave the CIC the “flexibility to get off the ground”.

“I think overall the service has been pretty well received,” said Louis. “We’re recycling old bikes and keeping them out of landfill.

“It’s a small operation, just me and a few great volunteers, but we give a really good service and get good feedback from people directly and online.”

The New Forest Bike Project recently secured funding from Cycling UK to offer free bike check-ups next month.

“It’s almost like an MoT for your bike,” Louis said. “but this project is all about getting people to help themselves.

“We encourage people to stay and learn how to check and fix up bikes for themselves when they come in.

“We work with various partners including Eaglewood School and New Forest Care, among others, to run bike maintenance sessions.”

The New Forest Bike Project has been shortlisted in this year’s Brilliance in Business awards in the A&T-sponsored category for best New Forest charity, social enterprise or community interest company.

“I’m a bit embarrassed to see we’ve been nominated in the awards to be honest,” said Louis. “I know the other charities that have been shortlisted and they do fantastic work.

“If we win that would be great, but if not we’ll just carry on doing what we do and we won’t be too disappointed.”

The New Forest Bike Project runs out of 55 Old Milton Road from 10am-3pm, Monday to Friday, and on Saturday mornings.

For more information visit newforestbikeproject.org

The winner will be announced at the New Forest Brilliance in Business Awards ceremony on 1st December.