Young people's handywork helps teenager onto the career ladder

News | Community

A teenager is riding her way to getting a new job thanks to four kind hearted young people who helped to fix up a broken bicycle on which she can travel to interviews.

Naomi Brown (18), who studies at Education Youth Services (EYS) on Oundle Road, Peterborough, was given the bike by four young people who decided to repair an unused and unserviceable bike.

Robert McCall (16) came up with the idea for the bike project and approached Peterborough City Council's young people's service for help in applying for funding to get the project off the ground.

City council youth worker Sue Schofield helped Robert plan the project which included applying to The High Sheriff Award Scheme for £500 to restore a bike in need of repair which he had been donated.

Robert and three friends, Robert Bedwell (16), Jamie Gall (16) and Kallie Wells (15) met weekly at the Sheridan Youth Centre in Orton Goldhay to repair and return the bike to a roadworthy condition. They did all the work themselves which included fitting new brakes and tyres.

The High Sheriff Award Scheme funding paid for the tools and parts the young people needed to repair the bike and lights, a pump, bike lock and helmet to make sure it met with safety standards. It also paid for a service at Woodston Cycles, Oundle Road, Peterborough, once the bike had been repaired so specialists could check it was roadworthy.

The bike was then given to Naomi, who was on a 22-week programme with EYS to improve her literacy and numeracy skills. Whilst on the course she gained a Level 1 qualification in numeracy and Level 2 in literacy.

Naomi said: "The EYS programme helped to build my confidence and self-esteem until I reached a point where I felt confident and capable of applying for jobs. One of the main problems I had was getting to interviews so the bike has come in really handy. I will also be able to use it to get to work when I get a job."

Peterborough City Council youth worker Sue Schofield said: "We were approached by EYS about Naomi as she was finding it difficult to get to job interviews as she had no transport. When the young people heard about this they decided to donate the bike to her to increase her chances of finding a job.

"The bike project idea came from Robert himself and it was his hard work and the hard work of Jamie, Robert and Kallie which made the project a success."

September 2009 - Peterborough UK Community Website