Andrew Evans has been volunteering at Emmaus Village Carlton since January and is helping to keep the wheels turning in our bicycle workshop, fixing bikes and ensuring they’re roadworthy and suitable for selling. He lives in Sharnbrook, North Bedfordshire with his wife, Jeannette, and his son Tim. Their daughter, Sonia, is currently studying at university and training to be a polar scientist.
How it all started
I started at Emmaus Village Carlton in early January this year, following a recruitment process at the end of 2022. I’ve lived in the area for around 20 years and have been an occasional visitor to Emmaus Village Carlton for most of that time. I saw a poster asking for bike mechanic volunteers, so I thought I would apply.
I’m currently working for half a day a week and I service and repair the bicycles that have been donated, making sure they are safe to ride before being sold in the shop.
Working for Emmaus
It’s a fantastic environment of friendly and interesting people. Repairing and recycling bikes is a great way to raise money for Emmaus, provide good value to customers and ultimately keep these old bikes out of landfill. I love using the skills I have in this way. Everyone wins!
I still work part-time as a Project Manager for Unilever Research & Development in Sharnbrook. However, I’ve been fixing bikes for about 30 years; I’ve always bought bikes second-hand for my family and myself and I enjoy fixing them for friends and neighbours. I’m mainly self-taught, however, having originally trained as an engineer helps as well!
I’m one of four bike volunteers and we’re working through a very large backlog of previously donated bikes. It’s fantastic to see these bikes being restored to a really good standard and we’re all looking forward to getting them serviced and ready for sale in the shop at Emmaus Village Carlton.
From cycling to sailing – reaping the rewards of voluntary work!
I would absolutely recommend voluntary work to others. Volunteering is a great way to make some real impact with your skills and you definitely gain as much as you give.
I also help out with safety duties at youth sailing competitions as my son, Tim, has been competing in sailing for 7 years. He now competes in sailing at a high level, representing Team GB, most recently in the Youth World Championships in Texas last year.
We spend a lot of time at sailing competitions around the country and further afield. When we’re not at sailing events we enjoy cycling days out in the local countryside.