Reddish Men in Sheds find ‘New Ways to Look at Bikes’
Following the success of Stockport Together in 2022, which celebrated the voluntary creative sector coming alive again after Covid, the Reddish Men (and Women) in Sheds devised a new project.
‘New Ways to Look at Bikes’ was a four-month creative project that took old bike parts – frames wheels, brake blocks, derailleurs etc., which normally would have gone to landfill, and used them to create new art objects which could then be presented in a suitable space where they could be enjoyed by members of the public.
The makers were both males and females, who perhaps had suffered loneliness, depression or such as low self-esteem and gave them an opportunity to work together to make something that was interesting, creative and fun.
“It succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.”
One Stockport spoke to Dr Eric Northey, Secretary of Reddish Men in Sheds who explained more:
How many beneficiaries did the project help?
There were 12 active makers who then assembled the exhibition at Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery. It was formally opened by Olympian cyclist, Alan Newtown who is the last surviving member of the 1952 Olympic cycling team. It was monitored by members of Reddish Men in Sheds with the help of the Gallery’s volunteers and staff for the 5 weeks that it was up.
During that time, it was seen by local MP Andrew Gwynne, who awarded the Group with a coveted Good Citizens’ Award of which we are very proud. It was visited by at least six local councillors from two of the borough’s major parties. It was seen by 1083 members of the public and talked of in families and similar groups throughout Stockport and beyond. For elderly people, who had never done anything on this scale before, it was a very great achievement.
How has being a part of this project helped them?
For all of our members, this project has been uplifting; for some it has been life changing. People who had never been in any art gallery, let alone such a distinguished building as the Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery, were exposed to opportunities to explore the world of creativity through making Bike Art pieces. It taught members about the history of art, photography, sculpture, fine painting, satire, textiles, casting, mechanics, weaving, pastiche, surrealism, and the sheer joy of putting something into the world that wasn’t there before human imagination and skills brought it into being. It lifted self-confidence, pride, a sense of purpose and achievement. It brought members into contact with their local politicians so that they could feel part of the democratic process and it gave them the opportunity to fully express themselves through creative artwork.
There are numerous people for whom this creative experience has helped them through a very difficult period. I could have picked D who got back to creative work after depression brought on by Covid. Or T whose disability and stroke-related difficulties leave him isolated, particularly after a recent divorce and bereavement. Or R, a younger man who cares for his father, who was able to develop his creativity with AI on computers. Or E, who having lost his ability to sing, has realised that creativity is a transferable skill that can be applied equally to other forms of self-expression.
We’ve all had our lives changed this last few month by looking at ordinary objects – bits of bikes – and making them into something curious, strange and beautiful.
Has being a part of this project helped anyone go on to volunteering, education or employment?
We’ve recruited 3 new women members as volunteers for Men in Sheds, to the extent that we now intend to form a mixed creative group. And one female member has asked to volunteer with the Gallery itself! We have also recruited two new male members; one who was actually visiting the exhibition when we spoke to him and a retired teacher, who needed to keep his brain active and don’t we all want that?
Tell us any good news stories about any beneficiaries of your project.
Stockport War Memorial has got one very capable volunteer; Reddish Men in Sheds has new members, with new skills and ideas to help us grow.
What do you think the impact of your project has been on the wider community?
It is genuinely hard to overestimate what New Ways to Look at Bikes has done for ourselves and the Reddish community. We’ve sold over 50 re-fettled bikes in the last 9 months; it takes 50 cars off the roads for at least some journeys and helps many people get to work or school. It brings an income to the Re:dish Charity shops and to ourselves. We spend as much as possible in Reddish, creating a circular economy based on the idea of the Reddish pound. It keeps 10 old blokes out of hospital through creative activities. And it keeps the Sri Lankan tea industry in business!
Has grant funding helped your organisation/group to develop?
Very definitely. It has increased our membership, our self-confidence and opened up new and different directions in which we can grow. See our brand-new website: https://reddishmeninsheds.wixsite.com/website
