Paahjul is a full-range bicycle repair shop, recognised for its quality, service-mindedness and in-depth bicycle repair capabilities. The Paahjul workshops also provide jobs for previous addicts that are aspiring to be re-integrated into society and to achieve their ambitions and dreams. Paahjul measures its success by social metrics such as getting people back into ordinary employment, improved quality of life, and better work and social skills.
The Paahjul bicycle repair shop in Sandnes is the fourth one opened in close collaboration between The Church City Mission and HitecVision. The first Paahjul workshop opened in the autumn of 2013 in Stavanger, and based on positive experience from this, we have opened offshoots in Hinna Park, Stavanger in 2015 and in Barcode, Oslo in 2016. We are now proud to open a new Paahjul bicycle repair shop in Sandnes, Norway’s “bicycle city”.
Since the start in 2013, more than 70 workers have been in job training at Paahjul, and we are approaching 25 000 bicycle repairs performed. 41 % of the workers have moved on to regular employment, or continued in other types of job training. This is a very satisfactory result, as Paahjul is targeting a group that start out very far from a normal working life. Another new repair shop will enable Paahjul both to extend its reach to more potential workers, and help make it a sustainable venture.
Paahjul, the Church City Mission and HitecVision are celebrating this milestone at the official opening of the new Paahjul workshop in Sandnes, attended by Stanley Wirak, the mayor of Sandnes; Gaute Brækken, Manager of The Church City Mission, and Ole Ertvaag, CEO of HitecVision.
The opening will take place on the 3rd December at 12.30, at Langgaten 18, Sandnes.
