‘Fixing bikes is the thing that helps me’ – Josh Crofts on turning a passion into a future path
Earlier this year, Kincraig-local Josh Crofts received funding from the Cairngorms Youth Local Action Group (YLAG), a group of young people supporting youth projects in the Cairngorms National Park. Josh used his funding for a bike maintenance course at Glenmore and continues to use the skills he learned to support the local community. As the newest member of the Cairngorms Youth Action Team, we met with Josh to learn more about his experiences.
How did you find out about the Cairngorms Youth Local Action Group fund and what did you use it for?
I initially heard about it from a friend, found the application, and thought it could be a good opportunity for me. I was looking to do a bike course anyway and it was a huge bonus that there were people out there who wanted to support that. I used the funding for a silver level Velotech bike maintenance course at Glenmore Lodge. I knew a lot about bike maintenance already but I felt like having that qualification makes it a lot easier to start building something from these skills.
What inspired you to use the funding the way you did?
I only got into biking around seven years ago with my best friend Creag. I realised that me and my pals all biked but no one really knew how to fix a bike so it would be handy if at least one of us knew how to do a quick fix at the side of a trail. I gave it a shot and found that I really enjoyed it and then just kept learning and became the designated mechanic for all of my friends.
This course was a great way to progress my future career really. I do part-time work up at Glenmore Lodge helping with bike maintenance and to continue to do it part time, or even full time in my own shop one day, would be pretty amazing. It’s something I really enjoy doing but it’s also great for my mental health – some people like to walk or run or fish, fixing bikes is the thing that helps me and I would love to continue developing my skills so I can do it in the future.
It’s great for my mental health – some people like to walk or run or fish, fixing bikes is the thing that helps me.
What did the Velotech course involve?
It was an in depth bike service course but also looked at things like insurances and legalities. So, if you were to fix someone’s bike for them then you could have implications if something goes wrong and part of the course covered how to deal with situations like that. It taught me how to become a bit more professional than my current home garage setup.
Now I’ve done the course, I am far more qualified to do the job I want to be doing. The more I can learn and practice, the more chance I have to work in a bike shop one day, or maybe even own my own shop.
What kind of opportunities have you had to share what you have learned with others in the Cairngorms National Park?
One of the best projects I get to be a part of is the SPIN project in Aviemore which offers bike hires and repairs for the local community. I go in and volunteer my time to help with the bike maintenance, there’s a group of us that work together and it’s really nice to bounce off each other. There’s a mix of qualified mechanics and people like me who volunteer but the more people there to help, the quicker we can get bikes to people who need them.
What inspired you to join the Cairngorms Youth Action Team?
I had met with the team when applying for funding and then was invited to give a few talks about my course for them on residential weekends. They said that I would be a great fit for the Cairngorms Youth Action Team because of my personality and the work that I have done in the area so I couldn’t really say no! I really liked the sound of being part of the team and the opportunities they provide to develop as young people, whilst helping other people achieve what they want to do too.
I really liked the sound of being part of the team and the opportunities they provide to develop as young people.
If there was someone else who was thinking of applying for funding from the Cairngorms Youth Local Action Group, would you have any advice or thoughts to share?
I haven’t had the opportunity to allocate funding as part of the YLAG yet but I know exactly what I will be looking for when I do. When I applied I was really worried about writing paragraphs because it’s not something I am confident doing but that’s not what the fund is about. It’s about the quality of what you will be doing with the funding and how it’s going to benefit both yourself and others in the area.
What are your ambitions and plans for the future here in the National Park?
Obviously I love it round here, I’ve grown up round here, I couldn’t think of being anywhere else. Currently there aren’t a huge amount of bike workshops around the area but maybe if I win the lottery one day I can change that! I think setting up or working on something like the SPIN project in the future would be awesome – helping people who can’t easily be out on bikes, yeah that would be really cool.
The Cairngorms Youth LAG Fund supports the ideas of young people living, learning and working in the National Park, in partnership with the Cairngorms Trust and the Cairngorms Youth Action Team.
Find out more: https://cairngormstrust.org.uk/apply-for-funding/cairngorms-youth-action-team-youth-lag/