I am an avid cyclist and passionate about social change: bicycles combine these two passions as they create healthier citizens, more liveable cities (less polluted and people friendly) and a great sense of community. As an academic (in political science), I believe that social employment is the key to economic recovery and social inclusion. Finally, there is something essential to my mind about the idea of social change: everyone has a potential that needs to be developed and revealed. Trainees who, for one reason or another, are away from the job market can contribute to making a difference and providing them with opportunities gives them a sense of ownership and respect – leading to a fairer society.
Rothar is also a logical progression: I started volunteering in 1997 in a bicycle advocacy group (Droit au Velo in Lille, France). As a student, it was vital for me to have an affordable means of transport and to learn how to fix bicycles, (I couldn’t afford bike shop repairs). Simultaneously, I started volunteering with an after school programme with migrant children in an impoverished area. I then decided to make a change in my local area by involving myself further in both organisations and fixing bikes for free. I moved to Ireland in 2004 and continued to volunteer with the Dublin Adult Learning Centre and the North West Inner City Network. I combined both my interests by founding Rothar in February 2008, first repairing bikes in my back garden. As a finance officer in a government agency, I saw a lot of groups having financial difficulties when public funding was running out: I therefore decided to create a social enterprise. Social enterprises do provide the benefits of a profit making business (the quality of services has to remain steady to ensure the customer base grows) combined with a social mission: the community benefits directly from the money it makes.
