Who is Broken Spoke?
Broken Spoke Bike Co-op is a not-for-profit Community Benefit Society with charitable aims of improving access to cycling in and around Oxford.
Broken Spoke has been serving the community for over a decade, supporting cyclists at every stage of their journey and working to actively remove barriers to cycling so everyone can experience the benefits of owning, riding and repairing their own bike.
What do we do?
DIY workshops - offering a welcoming, inclusive space, tools, and a helping hand with fixing your bike.
Mechanics courses - foundational/advanced/bespoke; we’ve developed hands-on & unique curricula to help you grow your confidence with keeping your bike in tip-top condition.
Women, trans and non-binary events like our Beryl’s Nights - we create safe spaces for underrepresented people so they can gain access to knowledge about fixing stuff & realise their capabilities
Bike repairs and services - accessible bike repair in a convenient central Oxford location
Bike refurbishment - we run a dedicated bike recycling programme to up-cycle & reuse bikes, reducing waste & getting more people pedalling
Community projects - we aim to bring fixing & riding to all, providing training and Dr Bike to different parts of the Oxford community.
Cycle training - we are Oxford’s only Bikeability accredited organisation, supporting beginners and experienced folks of all ages & backgrounds to more confidently and safely navigate our roads
Why is our work important?
Although there have been significant improvements in the UK in the number of people cycling, huge gaps in diversity remain.
The heart of what Broken Spoke does is to address an urgent need in the city to build, strengthen and support our local cycling community, with a particular focus on those facing barriers.
Through our uniquely tailored programmes, training and diverse network of partnerships throughout Oxford and beyond, our work supports over 2,500 cyclists in the community each year.
Our programming and services aim to meet these needs in the local community:
Accessibility and Affordability - We strive to keep the costs of our courses, repairs, DIY workshops, bike and accessories affordable often using a tiered pricing structure.
Gender Disparity - We are addressing the gender disparity in cycling through our training pathways, programming and local partnerships. Broken Spoke offers an inclusive, welcoming space with sessions such as Beryls Night led by and specifically for women, trans and non-binary folk and we currently have 5 women mechanics on staff and over 60% women in leadership roles.
Environmental Impact - Our recycling programme not only provides accessible cost transport to our local community it also gives bikes a second life. Since Jan 2021 we have saved 467 bikes from landfill.
Through partnerships with local organisations such as Oxford University and Aspire and funded community projects supported by OCF, Active Travel, and others we are tackling the climate crisis by reducing environmental impact and enabling people to choose green travel.
Why are we Crowdfunding?
Broken Spoke has always had an incredible community supporter base. But like many grassroot organisations, we were hit hard in the pandemic.
Programmes such as Beryl’s Night and our DIY workshops are an integral and unique offer, and are at the heart of Broken Spoke’s identity.
We are doing a great job rebuilding - and the demand for our programmes is building year on year - but we are at a crossroads.
We are in urgent need of unrestricted funding to help get us through the quieter winter months and bridge a critical funding gap.
Without this funding the programmes we care about, that are so integral to Oxfords cycling community will no longer be accessible.
Your help can ensure we continue to fulfil this community need and keep these vital programmes, loved by so many, alive.
What do we need?
We are raising £25k to keep our wonderful workshop and key programmes going throughout the winter and beyond.
We need to re-galvanise community support in order to achieve our fundraising goal.
This crowdfunder is not only to provide a short term solution to our current funding gap, it’s also to provide us with the resources and capacity to develop a more sustainable organisational model for the future.
Rewards!
We couldn’t do this without our supporters! And so to say a big thank you for your kind donation we have come up with some rewards that we hope everyone will love!
Here's a taste of what's up for grabs: