Alan trained as a professional sound engineer. He is educated to degree level but he has dyscalculia, a form of dyslexia which makes it difficult to decipher numbers and perform in exams.
During his last employment at a supermarket he lost entitlement to working tax credits and became homeless for over a year, although he still continued to work. He moved to Brighouse in February 2018.
Alan heard about the City Connect Cycles Project when he was referred to the Works Better employment programme by Halifax Job CentrePlus. As he is currently unemployed, he was able to receive a free bike at the end of the training course and he plans to use this to commute to a bus driver training course he recently started with Arriva.
“ I’ve always liked cycling. There are lots of physical and mental benefits and it’s also good for motivation. ”
“The bike means a lot to me because I’ve come to a strange place. It’s a beautiful place with amazing scenery and all I had was a little folding bike with no gears. Now I’m able to move around, go to job interviews and meetings, and get up the hills around here.
"I will use it to travel to the bus driver training, and if I get the job I’ll be using it to commute to the job in Elland, around 3.5 miles from here. It will be a great commute – a bit of road and then along the canal – on route 66 - that made me smile.
"I finished level 2 (CityConnect Cycles) training last week and picked up this bike. It’s a hybrid, a lovely metallic blue with a rack and mudguards, which is important for cycling to work. The training gives you the confidence to know what the right thing is to do and adjust to each situation, indicating to other people the most you possibly can.
"I’ve always liked cycling. There are lots of physical and mental benefits and it’s also good for motivation. If it wasn’t for the bike I’d just be stuck at home watching telly and on those occasions when I do need to go out, having a bike means I can get there much more comfortably, so I don’t have to rely on bus fares. It saves you a massive amount of cash on transport or fuel. If I get this job, it will cost a fiver a day on transport, and that adds up. It’s also much more convenient.”
Works Better is part funded through the European Social Fund and delivered through a collaboration of six partners (Kirklees Council, Fusion Housing and Paddock Community Trust, Calderdale Council, Newground, Wakefield Council and Groundwork) across Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield. Call Works Better on T: 01484 221000 or look up their website