Almost 500 bicycles are riding around the INEOS Oxide site in Zwijndrecht. Because the previous bicycle repair shop stopped, INEOS Oxide had to look for a new partner. They found it at Groep Intro, a social enterprise that offers employment to socially vulnerable groups.
A first batch of bicycles recently left for the repair workshop of Groep Intro in Deurne for maintenance or repair. Teun Lauwerier and Tim Digneffe show us around, while in the workshop some employees are busy tinkering with our bikes.
Project leader Teun Lauwerier: "Thanks to our projects, we can employ 30 people and we maintain between 5,000 and 6,000 bicycles on an annual basis! As a social enterprise, we help our employees in various areas: not only with a job and training, but we also guide them in their home situation to give them every opportunity. Such a customized process takes an average of 5 years." At INEOS Oxide, we are happy that we can contribute to this with the maintenance of our company bicycles.
Not everyone who works on bicycles in the Group Intro workshop ends up at a bicycle shop. Teun Lauwerier: "For some, of course, this is the case, but during their process we discover what someone can and wants and so together we look for an appropriate future perspective and to enable a smooth growth into the regular labor market."
In addition to the bicycle workshop, Groep Intro also has many other projects with social added value. For example, in collaboration with the City of Antwerp, the OCMW, the VDAB and the Justice Service, they also ensure that people sentenced to work receive a meaningful interpretation of their sentence, they provide training, career and guidance paths, they organize school and work internships for young people and much more.
