A SAFE SPACE TO LEARN NEW SKILLS
Our Social Enterprise Projects provide DENS clients the valuable opportunity to:
- Develop employability skills in a supportive environment
- Build confidence
- Feel part of a community
- Make new friends
- Create amazing bikes and coffee that provide additional income to continue DENS’ work
The Bike Project
The Bike Project, based in Gadebridge, Hemel Hempstead, provides training opportunities for local individuals experiencing unemployment, homelessness and low self-esteem.
Our clients gain hands-on experience in bike repair and maintenance, problem solving and more; skills that can help them find employment within the bike industry or related fields.
The project takes in unwanted bikes, which are then reconditioned and sold at affordable prices. By encouraging the recycling and reuse of bicycles, DENS supports environmental sustainability and reducing waste. But that’s not all – we also provide a comprehensive servicing offer that’s rated 5 stars on Google.
If you’d like to get involved or donate a bike, please email bikeproject@dens.org.uk or call 01442 800269.
The Kitchen Café
DENS is proud to run The Kitchen Café in partnership with another local charity, Sunnyside Rural Trust.
The Kitchen is based in the atrium of the Forum on The Marlowes in Hemel Hempstead, with the building being home to Dacorum Borough Council. The café sells hot drinks, snacks, sandwiches and sweet treats to council staff and visitors, Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm.
The café is a training ground for DENS clients, offering employment opportunities for those in need of work experience or a stepping stone to re-entering the workforce. Here, they gain practical skills in customer service, food handling, teamwork and more. Alongside experienced staff from Sunnyside Rural Trust, they help to run the café, with all the profits going back into the project.
