Case study

The Bike Lock

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Project snapshot

Who

The Bike Lock

What

Blended finance package

Why

To open Cardiff’s first and only indoor bike storage unit and café, supporting healthy and environmentally sustainable travel.

How

Social investment

The background

Between 2012 and 2022, the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) managed the Social Enterprise Assist Fund (SE-Assist Fund), which offered grants alongside interest-free loans to support social enterprises in Wales. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, CAF worked in partnership Cwmpas, a development agency working for positive change across Wales, to identify up to ten social enterprises — one of which was Bike Lock — that could benefit from apply for funding.

The cause

The Bike Lock, which is a local independent bike storage and co-working space, needed extra funding to complement funding received from Cardiff City Council and the National Lottery. The goal was to open Cardiff’s first, and only, indoor bike storage unit in the city centre, supporting active and sustainable travel within the city. The unit’s plans included showers, lockers and changing areas for cyclists and runners, alongside a cafe serving locally produced, and ethically sourced food and drinks. It would also act as a hub for active travel, providing information, co-working  facilities, bike maintenance and a cargo-bike delivery service.

The Bike Lock

The objective

The Bike Lock aims to promote an eco-friendly alternative to car use, and targets a variety of users, including commuters, students, tourists and shoppers. These goals also aligned with Cardiff City Council’s substantial investment in, and support for, active travel routes, helping more people cycle into the city and store bikes securely. 

The impact

CAF’s blended finance package provided via the SE-Assist Fund, alongside expert support from our social investment managers, helped The Bike Lock transform itself from concept-stage into a thriving social business. This created a welcoming and safe space that encourages people to be more active and engage with their local community.

As a social enterprise, all profits from The Bike Lock are reinvested to create jobs and support active travel in and around Cardiff — enabling a healthier and happier community.

The Bike Lock donates thirty hours of meeting space each month to local cycling organisations and women-specific cycling groups. It has also been invited to join the NatWest’s Accelerator programme for growing businesses and was voted ‘Best Cafe in Cardiff’ by Wales Online in May 2024.

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