Rothar in the media...

...On your bike in Phibsboro

04.08.2010
“All ideas can be great if you have somebody stubborn enough behind them,” jokes Anne Bedos, founder of Rothar, a not-for-profit community bike shop located in Phibsboro which started up two years ago.

And while Bedos may indeed be stubborn, there's no denying that her idea is genuinely great: taking in abandoned or unwanted bikes, repairing them, and then selling them back to the general public at a reasonable rate. And that's not the half of what she does: there's also community training, bicycle maintenance workshops and cycling lessons. But more of that later.

Originally from France, Bedos trained as a political scientist, and went on to work with a number of community development groups both in France and in Ireland before founding Rothar.

“As well as my interest in community development, I am also a keen cyclist, so when I came to Ireland seven years ago I was a bit surprised by the lack of bikes on the road, but also the amount of abandoned or vandalised bikes you'd see on the streets.”

Bedos decided to take action, starting up Rothar in her spare time while also holding down a full time job. However, when she was made redunant from the latter, she decided to throw herself full time into developing Rothar.

Asked to describe the project, she calls it “a bike shop with a twist”.

“It is a proper bike shop – we sell bikes and bike accessories, we do repairs – but it's not for profit so every penny is re-injected back into Rothar. There is no profit sharing.”

As well as having recycling partnerships with the likes of Dublin City Corporation and University College Dublin, Bedos says people bring in bikes they either don't want or need any more. “About 70pc of the bikes we get into the shop will go back out onto the street after some repair work. Before this, a lot of bikes in Dublin went straight to the dump, which was obviously a waste.”

Having more bikes on the streets of Dublin will help lower pollution, Bedos says, but there is also a sense of civic and social responsibility at work in Rothar.

“It's also about social inclusion,” Bedos explains. “We offer work placements for people who may be socially excluded, such as people who've been to prison, and we also visit youth groups in the community, training them in the basics of bicycle mechanics.” As well as this, Rothar has also donated bikes to charities and to marginalised groups such as asylum seekers, who can't afford the expense of public transport.

For Bedos the project has already proved itself a success because it has led to job creation. “Our chief mechanic Gareth is on the pay roll, so that particular goal of mine – to employ another person and provide them with a job – has come true.”

As well as this, 20–25 people volunteer at Rothar, helping to run the shop, dismantle non-repairable bikes, save and stock salvaged parts and help with the Fix Your Own Bike sessions which are offered to the public.

Her advice for people getting into the not-for-profit sector is pragmatic.

“There is a lot of risk involved, so if you're not able to handle that, I'd advise maybe getting a job where you'll still be able to do similar work but not have that risk.”

However, Bedos says that if you are able to cope with the uncertain nature of starting your own business in a not-for-profit sector – she herself poured her redundancy package into Rothar – and you're as stubborn as hell, you should be okay.

“I also think it's important to have people around you you can trust completely. I'm certainly very lucky to have that, but of course, it takes time to build up a team.”

And while she admits that with no public funding Rothar is not 100pc secure, it has grown beyond her expectations. This is partly to do with winning a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland award in 2009.

“I won just after opening my first shop. It was great to have people say ‘this is a good idea'. And then of course the press coverage I got brought people into the shop.”

Going forward, Bedos hopes to open a “proper training centre” in the autumn and would also the bike mechanics training conducted at Rothar to be recognised by FETAC. “I don't know when it will happen because it's not an easy thing to do and there are a lot of obstacles, but I'm working on it at the moment.”

And finally, the burning question, how did a French person think of the Gaelic name Rothar. “Well actually it was my Irish business partner who suggested it. Obviously I didn't have a clue what Rothar meant when I first heard it, but now I think it's really quite catchy!”

Visit the Rothar website for more information.

by Bernice Mulligan

Full article here: http://www.bizstartup.ie/news/item/16896-on-your-bike-in-phibsboro/

 

The Irish Times - Saturday, July 3, 2010

Where the revolving door stops...

Paul 36, bicycle mechanic

I had a happy childhood, but I never felt comfortable in my own skin. I started drinking at 12 and was getting into trouble with the Garda for robbing cars or being drunk and disorderly by the age of 15. I was into lighting fires, making bombs, getting involved with republicans, thinking I would blow up England. I got a buzz from anything that went bang.

Later I got into class-A drugs and my flat got raided. I went to prison, and what I realised there was that I could survive being locked up. It gave me more guts knowing I could handle prison, and I met people who had done armed robberies. I listened to them and learned a lot.

When I got out of prison I made my own replica sawn-off shotgun by using copper pipes and melting down lead. I was always very resourceful. The butt of the “gun” was sanded down and varnished, and it looked exactly like the real thing. I used it to rob shops, filling stations and newsagents, that kind of thing.

I spent most of my 20s living in hostels. The drink was my main addiction, but then I got so emotionally messed up on the drink I turned to heroin to get me off it. I smoked heroin for two years before detoxing myself with methadone, and then went back on the drink.

For a good while I was a functioning addict. One of those addicts people don't see. Some people think drug addicts are just the junkies you see strung out on the streets. But I was holding down a job cleaning windows, and then later I worked in rope access. I travelled all around the country, abseiling down cliffs or bridges, putting up scaffolding and that kind of thing.

I went back on the heroin again, thinking I would be on either drink or heroin for the rest of my life, and then when I was 35 I woke up one morning and realised I couldn't cope with it anymore.

I started going to Narcotics Anonymous and then went for treatment as a full-time day patient at Coolmine treatment centre. That was when the guilt started kicking in. Remorse about sticking replica guns in people's faces.

I can't imagine how those people must have felt, but I realised I couldn't change the past, and now I'm just focused on giving back.

I work in Rothar, which is a voluntary project where rust-bucket bikes are donated and we do them up. With Trasna I went on a job- preparation course and I got on this community-employment scheme at the bike shop. My plan is to study as a paramedic from September and get into search and rescue using my rope-access background.

I can understand why people think I don't deserve any help, but at the moment I am just trying to sort myself out so I can give back on a big scale. I will be drink- and drug-free for a year on July 9th. What I've got from this process is unbelievable. I am so finely tuned to myself and my issues now that I can't run away from myself the way I used to.

I have turned things around. All my determination and resourcefulness that I used to use in the wrong way I now use to make positive changes in my life. I didn't realise how much help was out there until I went looking for support.

Article here: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0703/1224273870167.html

 

Article from the Event Guide: June 09

ROTHAR - BIKES FOR THE COMMUNITY:
Anne and Stephen from Rothar told me about their venture and it sounds like a great idea! Rothar was formed about a year ago and it is a social enterprise that recycles bicycles. They accept donations of old bicycles from anybody and refurbish the bicycles to put them back on the road. Activities for young people and adults are provided and bike maintenance lessons and cycling lessons are on offer. Rothar sells either the whole refurbished bikes or second hand parts and even jewellery made from recycled bicycle parts is available. A very nice and well structured website on www.rothar.ie is well worth a visit to find out more about this interesting idea. And if you need a bike or have an old bike that you want to get rid of, think of www.rothar.ie.

 

Better way to bicycle

Cycling in Dublin, as both a means for transport ans a pastime, is undergoing a resurgence in popularity, exemplified by how difficult it has become to find somewhere to lock one's trusty two-wheeler. Now a community-based project called Rothar aims to further instill our love for environmentally friendly, cheap mode of transport, by making bicycles available to socially and economically disadvantaged groups. The idea behind Rothar is that unwanted bikes (scrap and otherwise), donated by the public, are taken and tuned-up, rebuilt and recycled, whereupon a new owner is found. Providing training for priority groups is also a key focus, empowering those involved with vocational training in bicycle repairs and maintenance. Newly renovated bikes will also be sold, for as little as €80, at various markets and fairs in Dublin in order to help Rothar cover the costs and overheads of running their workshop. SJ

The Dubliner magazine, the best of Dublin, issue May 2009

 

 

2009: A good year for cycling in Ireland?

Cycling is in fashion, even in Ireland . There has been a number of signs of continued growth in cycling here this year. The phrase “On your bike!” started to be sicking. Sub editors showed they never read newspapers, with ‘on your bike' appearing in headlines again and again on some of the many cycling articles this year, even on an Irish Times editorial .

With the Greens in Government it may come as a surprise that the most high-profile person pushing cycling in the last year has been a Fianna Fail minister — Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey. He stared the year by talking about car dependency , he said “That kind of car dependency would lead to a loss of competitiveness, massive rises in emissions, and growing obesity in children. We just cannot go on like that.”

Dempsey went on to launch a framework for the first Irish Government cycle policy document, made into policy after the Green Party and Fianna Fail agreed on a new programme for Government. He also put money where his mouth was by funding cycling projects, and getting his department to look into pro-cycling changes to road traffic laws. It's clear that the Greens in power can be helpful for cycling, but Dempsey seems to be convinced the benefits of promoting cycling. And, as an outsider to the green movement, maybe he is in a better position to push pro-cycling measures and reach his target of 10% commuters nationwide cycling by 2020?

But, for now, the most clear signs of cycling increasing could be put down to two things, only one from national Government. While newspapers articles tried to claim otherwise, there's strong anecdotal evidence on the ground and online of a growing pick up of the cycle-to-work scheme (see below). Meanwhile, Dublin City Council's on-street bike rental system, DublinBikes, was launched late this year. Its quick success brushed away scary stories that the bikes would all end up in the river or nobody would use them.

From the good, bad and downright ugly, here's some of the cycling related news and events from the last year:

Source: http://cianginty.com/2010/01/2009-a-good-year-for-cycling-in-ireland/

 

 

Rothar on YELP!

This is the best idea i have come across in 2009.

I visited Rothar during the summer in search of a bicycle, now Phibsboro is a long trek for me from Dundrum, its all the way across the other side of the city, I didnt buy a bike but it was worth it to see this operation.

You should look at their website to try and get the full flavour of rothar but i will try and describe it to you here. Basically it is a community project that gathers abandoned and donated bicycles from around the city, the people there then do up the bicycles and then sell them on at a really cheap price, about €90 for your average bike. They also conduct classes on maintaining your bicycle and they provide workshop spaces where you can repair your own bike with their tools and get advice on how to fix whatever is wrong.

Since i was there they have changed premises and that can only be good. I spent ages walking around phibsboro with my boyfriend trying to find this "shop" in an area i have never been in before, we ended up down a tiny little lane where there were loads of kids playing. It was there we found what i can only describe as a tiny garage with a man in dreds surrounded by bicycles and bike parts. He confirmed that we had found Rothar but unortunately there were not any proper bikes ready to take away.

The workshop is bigger and better now but as far as i can see these guys are in real need of bicycles to keep this operation going so as well as giving Rothar a big thumbs up i am sending an encouraging message out to anyone who reads this, if you have an old bike lying around or if you know someone who is throwing one out, think of these guys before you donate your bike to a skip!

Oh and just incase you dont speak Irish, Rothar is the Irish for Bicycle and it's pronounced " ruh-har" if you can read my attempt at spelling phonetically!

Source: http://www.yelp.ie/biz/rothar-dublin

 

 

Richardbloomfield.ie - Rothar

If you're in the market for a second-hand bicycle, need some bike repair training, or even just need some space and tools to do some repairs, then Rothar is for you.

Situated on the Phibsborough Road D7, they are a community project that takes donated old bikes (as well as abandoned bikes from around the city) and renovates them in their workshop; selling them on second-hand at a very reasonable price.

I really love the concept, because it promotes recycling and reuse, sustainable transport, and community-based education.

I just wish my new bike would hurry up and arrive in the shop, so that I can donate my existing ride to the project.

Source: http://www.richardbloomfield.ie/2010/02/rothar.html

 

 

 

Source: Metro Ireland, edition 29/10/2009

 

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Rothar is a team of two full time staff and about 15 volunteers

Anne, the founder and director, will answer any questions concerning cycling promotion, bicycle recycling, earn a bike workshops and cycle training. You can contact her on info@rothar.ie. Gareth, the workshop manager, will answer any questions concerning the shop, repairs, bike parts etc. You can contact him on (01) 8602615. Alternatively you can come to the shop and talk to us!

Our Mission Statement

Scarce resources, environmental destruction and social inequalities are key challenges in today's society Rothar reuses and recycles scrap bicycles, reducing waste, providing a sustainable mode of transport and community-based education to promote social inclusion. Our organisation advocates for self-empowerment of disadvantaged communities by promoting vocational training and eco-friendly mobility.

Rothar has been awarded by the social entrepreneurs Ireland...

Social Entrepreneurs Ireland aims to ignite social change by identifying, investing in, and supporting Irish social entrepreneurs - individuals who are prepared to take risks by applying their energy, drive, ambition and innovation to tackle some of Ireland's most entrenched social problems. Since 2004 the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards programme has selected and supported 113 leading social entrepreneurs, providing financial support, training, education and network opportunities.