Building skills & confidence: The Basement Project X Project Colt

In late July, The Basement Recovery Project contacted Calderdale Council with a simple but powerful idea: could they access a small number of bikes to support their volunteers and help deliver cycling sessions?

What followed was the start of a partnership that went far beyond bike provision, creating lasting impact through skills, confidence, and community connection.

A Partnership Built on Shared Values

Active Calderdale reached out to Project Colt in Elland, the team behind the Bike Library and The Rusty Bike Shed. Having proudly supported Project Colt through previous funding, we knew their community-focused approach would be the perfect fit.

From the outset, Project Colt didn’t just agree to help, they went above and beyond.

Rather than simply supplying five bikes for volunteers at The Basement Project, they worked together to ensure this initiative delivered long-term value. That meant giving volunteers not just a way to travel actively and affordably, but also the knowledge and skills to maintain and repair their bikes, ensuring they could keep riding well into the future.

Learning, Riding and Building Confidence

In September, Dan and Tomek from The Rusty Bike Shed delivered 1.5 days of funded bike maintenance training to everyone who received a bike. Volunteers learned essential maintenance skills, built confidence in looking after their bikes, and had the chance to test them out on rides.

Reflecting on the experience, Andy Bryant, Community Coordinator at The Basement Recovery Project, said:

“We were involved in a joint effort to enable some of our volunteers to attend bike maintenance training, and for the beneficiaries to receive a bike each, the very bike they had worked on during the training.

The project resulted from co-working with Steve Pullan at Calderdale Council and Dan Firth at Project Colt. Six people attended the training, one being the son of a volunteer.

At the time, they all expressed how much they enjoyed and benefited from the experience. The training was informative, enjoyable, and Dan was a pleasure to work with. Five of them received bikes and continue to use them regularly.”

Real Stories, Real Impact

The impact of the project is best told through the voices of the volunteers themselves:

“Yes, I’ve been using my bike regularly. I also went back and upgraded it — new brakes, chain and gear cogs. My son attended the workshop too and found it very worthwhile. He even got a certificate. It was certainly worth it.”

Volunteer 1

“I’ve been riding regularly and can now fix my bike if I have any problems. The training was great, and getting to keep a bike was fantastic. I’m starting a riding group soon and will be taking people out on rides.”

Volunteer 2

“I use my bike a lot — not just for fun, but to get around when volunteering and for appointments. The maintenance refresher was brilliant. It was definitely a great thing to do.”

Volunteer 3

“I really enjoyed the training. I already had my own bike, but the maintenance skills were clear and easy to follow. I’m now getting involved in a riding group and hope to pass on what I’ve learned.”

Volunteer 4

A Lasting Legacy

This project shows how small investments, strong partnerships and community-led approaches can lead to meaningful change.

By combining bike access with practical skills training, volunteers now have:

• Greater confidence

• Increased independence

• New social connections

• Opportunities to lead rides and support others

Most importantly, the project has helped create a ripple effect, where knowledge, confidence and enthusiasm for cycling are being shared more widely across the community.

We’re excited to see how these bikes and the skills gained continue to benefit The Basement Recovery Project and the people they support.