Community Cycling Club Forced to Scale Down After Targeted Break-In

Will you help us recover from a targeted overnight break-in that saw over £15,000 worth of specialist adapted cycles stolen from its Victoria Park All Ability Club?

The theft forced our inclusive cycling club — which provides a safe, social space for disabled people, carers, and those with long-term health conditions — to shut down. Although it has now reopened on a limited basis, the loss of its adapted fleet means fewer people across Tower Hamlets, Hackney, and Newham can take part in activities that help them stay active, independent, and connected.

“These bikes are a lifeline — they’re what make it possible for people with physical, sensory or learning disabilities to experience the freedom of cycling,” said Zoe Portlock, Co-CEO of Bikeworks.

“As a social enterprise, our commercial services fund vital access to cycling for people who are too often left out. Now we’re asking East London’s community to help us rebuild.”

Layla, a regular participant who attends the club with her adult son, added:

“This club is one of the only places where we both feel safe and included. The bikes make it possible for us to enjoy something together. We don’t want to lose that.”

How You Can Help

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What It Does

Donate via GoFundMe

Helps replace stolen cycles and restore the Victoria Park Club to full capacity

Book a team-building event

Our Charity Bike Factory programme funds free cycling and donates bikes to local families and projects like Moving Moi and Mile End Community Project

When Bikeworks Met Professor Muhammad Yunus – the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate & Father of Social Enterprise

Jamie Lawson on April 9, 2025

A year ago, Bikeworks had the incredible honour of welcoming Professor Muhammad Yunus – the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and widely regarded father of social enterprise – to our organisation. For our Co-Founders, Jim and Zoe, this moment was deeply meaningful, as Yunus’ pioneering work has been a profound inspiration in shaping their journey as social entrepreneurs.

Yunus has redefined the role of business in society.

Through Grameen Bank, he revolutionised micro-finance, enabling people who were previously excluded from financial systems to build businesses, create livelihoods, and escape poverty. But his impact extends far beyond finance. His innovative approach has transformed social enterprises across sectors like health, education, and even sport, demonstrating that business can be a powerful force for social change.

In 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) honoured Yunus with the Olympic Laurel during the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony, recognising his extraordinary achievements in education, culture, development, and peace through sport. Yunus’ collaboration with the IOC aims to integrate social business principles into the Olympic Games, ensuring that these global events leave a lasting, positive legacy for local communities.

This resonates deeply with us at Bikeworks – we share Yunus’s belief in using business to address inequality. Nearly 19 years ago, Bikeworks’ original vision, Olympic Bikes, was born from the idea that the London 2012 Olympics should create a lasting legacy – not just for elite sport, but for accessibility, healthy communities, and inclusive travel. Inspired by Yunnus, our Co-Founders saw firsthand how social enterprises could drive change, create jobs, and promote wellbeing – using the growth of the social enterprise movement and the cycle as a tool for good.

Yunus’ visit to Bikeworks was a moment of profound reflection and motivation.

His vision and leadership have shaped the social enterprise movement we are proud to be a part of. The extraordinary events of the past year in his life – culminating in his unprecedented rise to lead Bangladesh, overcoming intense political opposition and personal persecution – serve as a powerful reminder of how social business can challenge the status quo and reshape entire systems.

The world is changing, and the role of social enterprises has never been more crucial as a movement for a more inclusive, fairer world.

Huge thanks go to Peter Holbrook, Emily Cherry, Shazia Hussain, and everyone at Pioneers Post, QEOP LLDC, School of Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprise UK.