Earlier this month we held our first charity visit of the 2027 season. 6 Loopers took the opportunity to visit the brilliant XO Bikes project within HMP Pentonville, London. It was an eye-opening morning to say the least.

XO Bikes are one limb of the umbrella charity Onwards & Upwards whose mission is to help ex-offenders avoid the cycle of reoffending by creating jobs that change their lives for good.

Visitors are asked to bring almost nothing with them – no bags, laptops etc – and everything they DO have is put into a locker before entering. Then it’s into the noisy, intimidating environment of the prison itself. The noise is something every visitor notices straight away – it’s almost relentless – described by one visitor as “the infernal racket on the prison wings … where my abiding memory is of the perpetual clanging noise which would send me crazy in no time”.

But once into the XO bike workshop, they discovered a more peaceful environment – one of calm and focussed activity, when inmates are learning the skills to become bike mechanics, while also learning about the bigger skills of self-respect, a desire to change the trajectory of their lives and dream of something better, supported by a team of caring professionals.

The young men here are part of a 4 week course that will, if they’re successful, see them being awarded their bronze level bike mechanic qualification. Once released, some will go on to join a 12 week course at the XO Bikes sister project in Lewisham where they can ultimately graduate with a gold level qualification.

Here’s what our Loopers had to say:

“It was a spooky and slightly unnerving visit to be in somewhere so unforgiving as HMP Pentonville . I must admit some pre- match nerves during the briefing before entering the prison.” – Windy

“The work of XO is as much about socialisation and appreciating that there are other opportunities in life as it is about mechanics (even if some previous life choices will have limited some of these). An example was given of a participant whose whole outlook on life changed once he attended the course. As Will said, it’s about the bloke not the bike.” – John

“It was an incredible morning and a timely reminder to me of the real difference the William Wates Memorial Trust actually delivers ‘on the ground’. The difference the workshop makes to the lives of the prisoners who get on the programme is very clear to see … I learnt a lot; it was a privilege to be there. ” – Chris 

“It’s one thing to read about where the funds go and another to see it for yourself. Seeing the workshop, and hearing how the workshop is helping the guys on the course build skills, confidence and a sense of direction, brought home how much difference this makes.” – Simon

“Aside from the environment in the workshop being infinitely nicer that that on the prison wings, its little things like getting a framed certificate on completion of the course (we gave one to one guy and you could see how chuffed he was, possibly the first one he’d ever had in his life), a plaque on the wall and their identity on bikes refurbished. They build them up, not grind them even further down“. – Ben