OCB is excited to launch a new program for young people to take bike mechanics to the next level.
If you were asked to picture an avid biker or bike mechanic, what would you imagine? Most readers will probably be thinking of a male identifying, maybe middle aged, most likely white, individual. Given the lack of diversity in the bike community, this mental image is perhaps reflective of the space itself.
At OCB, we are trying to change this, creating supportive avenues for people from a range of backgrounds, often those from communities marginalized from biking and transportation, to access opportunities in the biking community and sector.
Starting with young people, instilling a life-long love for riding and sense of belonging in the biking community is essential.
To help achieve this in Vancouver and the surrounding area, Our Community Bikes has received a Community Board grant from the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, and support from ParticipACTION to deliver ‘Future Mechanics’, a structured training program and social space for young people to develop critical mechanics skills and find community through biking. This will complement our East Van Youth Bike Club supported by Jumpstart.
The Future Mechanics program is seeking to foster a new generation of sustainable, inclusive and affordable transportation, through bringing bicycles, bicycle services and bicycle maintenance skills to marginalized young people in Vancouver.
Metro Vancouver’s (like many cities in British Columbia) sustainability action plans across the last several years have affirmed goals of making the majority of trips on foot, bike, and public transit, while developing more inclusive and community focused mobility services. However, the lack of affordable and inclusive bicycle services for the city’s youth are inhibiting this agenda.
Repeated evidence demonstrates that instilling environmentally conscious behaviours in formative years, helps establish life-long relationships with sustainability. Just 4% of children in Canada cycle to school, and over half of children living less than 5 minutes away from school drive there. Affordability of bicycles, knowledge and confidence around maintenance and riding, and access to bicycling communities are critical barriers to increasing cycling amongst young people in Vancouver.
With this Community Board grant, through the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation and Jumpstart, OCB will tackle youth transportation in a comprehensive way for a sustainable and durable future for active mobility.
“Through our partnerships with charities supporting young people’s biking, we understand the challenges young people in these situations face,” said Nimmi Kanji, Executive Director of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation.
“We are proud to be able to support Our Community Bikes, with a Community Board grant in order to help them support young people into biking and even pursue a career in bike mechanics, should they wish to embark on this route.”
This Future Mechanics program, which began in May and will run across the Summer and Fall, also seeks to address the lack of social and equitable learning spaces and resources for youth, by providing a rigorous training program and mentoring, as well as valuable space for attendees to meet and share experiences, thus supporting mental health and physical wellbeing for Vancouver’s young people.
Want to get involved in the next set of dates? Get in touch with us via email or visit our shop on Main Street or our website to find out more.