Welcome!
Stubbylee Community Greenhouses in Bacup, Lancashire, isn't just a regular charitable organisation – it's a community, a support mechanism, a bicycle repair and renovation workshop, an education facility, a recreational grounds, and who can forget the irresistible food available at the cafe!
Stubbylee Community Greenhouses has grown remarkably over the past few years thanks to our trustees and staff and volunteers who are all integral to our progress and to keep up with the fast society, we have decided to create a new Facebook page where we will provide updates on all aspects of the work we do here at Stubbylee Park.
Every few days, we will post updates from the art classes, horticulture courses, mental health and wellbeing elements, the greenhouses themselves, the cafe, and the bicycle workshop.
For the first post, we speak to David who is in charge of the bicycle workshop. The hard work and time that he puts into his passion is very much deserving of this. David receives donated bicycles in all conditions. Many of the bikes are then renovated by his team with precision and are then sold to the general public which helps the charity. As a non-profit, many of the bikes are extremely underpriced which goes on to help people who want a good bike at an affordable cost.
David in his workshop. (Photo credit: Lee Walsh)
Question: How long have you been working here?
David: I started as a volunteer at Stubbylee Community Greenhouses 18 months ago.
Question: Why did you choose bike technician here?
David: I wanted to start applying my technical skills from a background as an electrical engineer rather than the horticulture side because that’s not really for me. I ran a successful business in that field before coming here.
David working on a donated bike that will be renovated to a high standard before being put up for sale to the general public for a heavily discounted price. (Photo credit: Lee Walsh)
Question: What’s your favourite part of working here?
David: I love the community spirit and that everyone seems to be on the same level. It’s so easy going and I really do get a sense of achievement when teaching the others in my team and seeing the satisfaction on customers’ faces. It’s amazing when they return for other bikes as well. I really enjoy that aspect of this work.
Question: Given that Stubbylee Community Greenhouses is a charity with limited resources, some bikes are massively underpriced, aren’t they?
David: Yes, we always have one or two bikes which we’ve renovated and put up for sale for much less than what they are actually worth when comparing other listings on the likes of Facebook Marketplace and eBay.
Two examples of what we currently have are both Trek bikes. One is a crossover road bike and the other is a road racing bike. The latter is priced at around £250 in several places, but we have it listed at less than half that at around £100.
The Trek road racing bike which has been renovated to a very high standard and is currently for sale at half the asking price from other listings. (Photo credit: Lee Walsh)
The Trek crossover bike also being sold at much less than the usual price. (Photo credit: Lee Walsh)
Question: Do you renovate all the bikes that are donated by the public?
David: Unfortunately, as much as I’d like to renovate everything that comes in, it’s just not possible with some of them. Some bikes are well-past their best days with some being 50 years old. At the minute, we have a collection of 13 road bikes which we’d like to sell as a job lot to either a collector or someone who has more time to renovate them.
Question: Is there anything else you want to add?
David: I just want to say how lovely it is to see the same customers come back. Repeat business is fantastic to see and some of the people who come back recommend us to their friends and family regularly. Quite often, some customers come in to look around and we don’t have the bike that is perfect for them already renovated and for sale. I take those customers to the work shop to see what bikes we have that are awaiting renovation. More often than not, they choose a bike and we renovate it in the work shop for them to return to pick it up.
It’s also nice helping parents choose bikes at this time of the year for their children. Not everyone can afford the highest priced premium bikes and whilst we do have a few, many parents find the perfect bike(s) for their child(ren). With Christmas coming up, it’s always nice to be able to provide something far cheaper and more affordable to make local families happy.
One of the many children’s bikes currently for sale in David’s bike shop at Stubbylee Community Greenhouses. (Photo credit: Lee Walsh)
David went on to add that, at some point in the future, he hopes to take a course to gain the expertise to deal with e-bikes to keep up with the modern age. Whilst he is more than capable of renovated e-bikes and converting existing bikes to electronically-assisted bikes, he believes it better to gain the accreditation for this field.
For more information, you are welcome to pop down to the bike shop where Dave will help measure you up for the right bike, advise on the best possible bike for your needs, and indeed show you other bikes that are awaiting renovation in case there's something which hasn't been fully renovated yet. Dave is also happy to service any bikes you currently have. Or, if you have any bikes that are gathering dust in storage or your child has outgrown a bike, feel free to donate it! We always need new bikes!
Don’t forget to click the like button and follow the Facebook page for Stubbylee Community Greenhouses in Bacup, Lancashire for updates and news from our charity!
Blog written by Lee Walsh.