Bike project helps turns Paul’s life around

A bike repair project run by Derventio Housing Trust has helped turn the life of a former engineer around.

Paul Hudson, 39, of Alfreton, is now working as a paid co-ordinator of volunteers for Bike Back Derby, where he uses his engineering skills to help others refurbish bicycles to get fit.

Back in 2015, Paul found himself unable to pay the rent after losing his job through poor mental health, which led to him being provided with accommodation by Derventio Housing Trust.

At his housing officer’s suggestion, Paul started attending Growing Lives, a day centre run by Derventio based in Ilkeston, which offers craft sessions, walks, gardening and other activities designed to boost wellbeing and offer new pathways.

Growing Lives has a large woodworking room where residents and others who use the service can get involved in repairing bikes – and it was here that Paul met and worked with Dave Sterland, who has been working with Derventio for many years.

The bike repair scheme involves refurbishing and making bikes using donated parts, so they can be used again.

Paul, who has now moved on to his own council property, said: “I used to like cycling and I’ve always been someone who likes taking things apart and finding out how they work.

“Derventio Housing Trust got me out of a very difficult situation where I was.

“From Growing Lives I went into volunteering and then from volunteering I went into this job – all from being on the bike project with Dave.”

Dave, who like Paul is also engineer trained, said he had been helping people who have been homeless by introducing them to repairing bikes ever since the origins of Derventio: a night shelter in Derby where its Boyer Street headquarters are now based.

He said: “I started the first bike repair shop when we were running the night shelter.

“I used to provide activities for people who accessed the service. It’s all about providing someone with something different to what they expect in their normal life.

“The Growing Lives project, and the bike repair scheme I used to run before it, shows how working with your hands can be very therapeutic for a lot of people.

“We’ve helped hundreds of people over the years at Derventio and it’s always great to know that we’ve helped turn things around for people.”