Julian House is a homeless charity which operates throughout the South West, with the core of its services based in Bath. The charity runs social enterprise Bike Workshops in Bath and Trowbridge providing training and employment opportunities for socially excluded and vulnerable people together with bike services for the public. This includes refurbished bikes, new bikes, parts and accessories, servicing and repairs.
Julian House used its Business Growth Grant to purchase a fleet of electric bikes and launch an electric bike hire scheme in Bath to provide a new income stream for the Bike Workshop and an innovative, sustainable and environmentally friendly transport service for residents and tourists. The project was launched in mid July 2021.
Project Cost: £6,694
Grant Awarded: £5,355
During the first four months of operation, the bike hire scheme generated sales of over £10k. The additional revenue has safeguarded jobs, provided additional opportunities for training and volunteers and enabled the Bike Workshop to diversify its offer and recruit a seasonal worker.
Martin Chappell, Business Manager at Julian House, said: “The Business Growth Grant was crucial in bringing this project to life. The bike hire scheme has proved incredibly successful despite the impact of the pandemic on tourism in the city. It’s provided a new income stream for the Bike Workshop which crucially means we can provide more training and employment opportunities for vulnerable people, helping them gain confidence and learn skills.”
The grants supported businesses from all sectors to recover from the challenges presented by Covid-19. Grants of up to £6,000 were available to support businesses with their plans to sustain or drive growth, by implementing new business practices or adopting new ways of working.