A Grimsby businessman has ditched retirement after being given a lesson in sustainability by his grandson.

Dave Spencer founded one of the largest cycle parking companies in the UK in the early Nineties, selling up in 2017. Now he is bringing a career’s worth of experience at the helm of Lock It Safe together with an ambition to fulfil environmental desires. In doing so he is looking to breathe a greener life into supermarket car parks, street furniture and other public realm structures.

Mr Spencer, who runs his new entity Doing R Bit out of The Enterprise Village – where early creations have been adopted by E-Factor, said: “I was 62, I thought I’d retired, but I was visiting my daughter in the Cotswolds, taking things out of the back of the car and dropped an elastic band on the ground and my grandson said ‘don’t leave that there’. I asked why the interest, what was so important, and first he said animals could choke on it, and added it would also take years to biodegrade.

He has now brought forward a range of timber products, some incorporating planters and living roofs, with solutions for cycle storage, outdoor eating, bus stops and more.

One key area is parklets, roadside spaces repurposed as public amenities that can help calm or eliminate unwanted traffic.

“It has opened up a new world for me,” Mr Spencer said, having linked up with a sales colleague in the North West. He recalls his previous venture’s early torment of tracking down cycling officers to engage with, now the green theme abounds in the public sphere, with early phase work with Sheffield City Council progressing on a range.

“Living cities, cleaner air schemes, social and working schemes, everything just feels like the timing is right, it is absolutely current,” he said.

“We’re subcontracting manufacturing locally at the moment, but the ultimate for me – and only time will hold me back – would be a timber-framed workshop, with solar panels, water harvesting system and EV charge points – a wholly green environmentally friendly business – not just manufacturing but in delivery too. Rather than sending teams out, I’ll supply the designs and materials to local contractors.

“It is about behavioural change, what this is doing is so important, yet it will be the norm for my grandson’s generation.

“People will replicate it, but if they do that’s fantastic, it is my job done. If I can help start it, and other businesses supply too, the benefit is for the environment. If we end up with a whole tonne of competition, so be it.”

It isn’t the first time family have provided inspiration either, Lock It Safe came about after his child’s bike was stolen from outside Grimsby Leisure Centre.

Long-standing employees Matt Smith and Craig Sime bought him out, diversifying the business on the back of a strong reputation.

Doing R Bit was adopted after seeing major organisations voicing what they were doing. He now wants to see that stretch further from the example of supermarkets with plastics bags and packaging to wider estate management.

Accessed: 7th April 2022 Source: https://www.business-live.co.uk/manufacturing/sustainable-street-furniture-business-grows-23592295

 Timber is our champion, and we are shouting from our green roof tops about how we can act now to support the sustainable future we all hope for. 

We hope to inspire others by showing that the use of timber demonstrates both desirable and achievable outcomes for communities. More than just utilising timber; we have placed immense importance on ensuring sustainability is embedded throughout all our processes and that as a service provider, the advantages of this are replicated in any community we engage with nationwide! 

Take the scenic route 

Our timber facilities not only increase the capacity for the public to safely store their bikes and scooters; they also make the commute through the community much more enjoyable, encouraging commuters to ditch the car! Our active travel storage and street furniture products also benefit from an array of ‘green’ additions – From planters to parklets we incorporate space to plant, plant, and…. plant! Improving both the aesthetics and the biodiversity of the area. Our timber parklets create a wonderful space that can be used for active travel storage, playing, resting, and socialising and make a terrific addition to any space, including commuter routes and low traffic neighbourhoods. And, if you have seen our recent work, we would love you to join us in ‘reimagining the bus stop’ to turn them into multipurpose spaces that really advantage our communities and environment.  

Keep it local 

In the spirit of true sustainability, we are committed to using local contractors and suppliers for all our projects, keeping business within the local community, while the associated reduction in travel also minimises our carbon expenditure. In addition to this we like to work with kindred spirits in the community who also make sustainability a priority! 

Choosing our timber from responsibly managed and certified forests ensures the protection of the timber industry and the communities relying on it to thrive. What’s more, these forests ensure the preservation of biodiversity and carbon storage capacity globally. 

Low traffic neighbourhoods  

With the addition of robust, weatherproof reflective material, our planters and parklets can support the creation of low traffic neighbourhoods, that support a reduction in air pollution, noise pollution and traffic accidents, leading to safer, healthier streets within communities for all. Adding planters and parklets brings the added benefit of adding greenery and natural aesthetics to the area while promoting biodiversity and providing resources for use within the community 

Protect the environment  

Facilitating sustainable choices from sustainably sourced materials is integral to our operations. Our timber products contribute towards supporting the environment in many ways. The products themselves not only encourage and facilitate active travel, reducing carbon emissions and supporting healthy communities, but their creation, transport and use also produces less carbon compared to concrete and steel alternatives-great news for the environment! 

Our planters and green roofs promote biodiversity, help reduce air pollution, and can be used in combination with any of our other products. While using sustainable timber ensures the continual replenishment of trees and preservation of biodiversity within the forests- contributing to the global carbon sink. This without doubt has a direct impact on our communities by supporting the cleaner air movement and ensuring the continual supply of timber for more community projects! 

Schools  

The journey to school should be stress free and fun and we are ‘DoingRBit’ to support communities make active travel choices to and from school. We are thrilled to have recently become a Modeshift partner and have identified over twenty initiatives in which our service can support schools with their Modeshift stars accreditation. We want to support green, vibrant, safer routes where scooting, walking, or cycling along with peers is the norm.  

Our timber scooter and cycle facilities improve the ability to do this while also supporting biodiversity with the addition of planters and green roofs. They are also a great talking point in schools on the topics of active travel, sustainability, and cleaner air! School culture can promote positive change and expand into other areas of the community – When we learn remarkable things, we want to share them and there is much to be learnt from our service and products – each piece we create has a story to tell, from its origins as a carbon capturing tree in the forest to its new use as a carbon storing scooter rack! 

 For Doing R Bit, the sky is quite literally the limit! We have understood the challenge to change our course and we hope to encourage others to do the same. We are excited about the scope of change possible by embracing our natural resources and the difference that can make in supporting long term, healthy and happy communities. There is no need to reinvent the wheel (which was originally a timber invention, might we add!) we simply need to change our approach and commit to choosing sustainable ways to produce sustainable options that support both the physical and mental health of our communities! 

It’s impossible to have a bus shelter without taking up space, so it makes sense to us that that space works to the advantage of its’s surroundings. The bus stop can become a useful friend to the environment and communities in many ways, revitalising otherwise tired spaces.

However, bus stops and shelters are not always the most appealing of places to sit and wait. They contribute little to their surroundings; neither environmentally nor ascetically. But Doing R Bit hopes to change that. We have reimagined the bus shelter and we’re excited.

In addition to removing congestion and the associated pollution from the road that would otherwise be caused by cars, you can’t underestimate the benefits a bus adds to your journey – freeing up some of your time to read the news, listen to music, enjoy a book, or simply do nothing. With the addition of WIFI to most buses you can even use your time productively to catch up on emails, or get a head start on work, if you want……

Sounds much better than having to negotiate busy commuter routes and find a parking space at the end of it!

Greening up

As structures go, they make it easy for us to add a green roof and green walls. They look fantastic and go a long way for the environment! Every additional habitat and ecosystem are an undeniable ‘tick’ for sustainability and commitment to cleaner air. Attracting pollinators and wildlife improves biodiversity, especially in more urban areas. Can we add planters? Of course!

Planters are an easy way to add extra habitats to the space – you could even plant perennial herbs for community use…and it will smell amazing!

Sustainable travel chain.

You’re already getting the bus. Great! But how did you get there? Probably not by bicycle or scooter, but what if your shelter incorporated active travel storage?…….Now there’s an idea!

Good for mood

Let’s face it, there’s nothing very inspiring about a bus stop – give or take the odd advert that might catch your interest. But timber structures have been shown to have a positive impact on mood. Surroundings of timber tones and vibrant colours from plant life are much more likely to invoke happy thoughts and get your day off to a better start. The character and versatility of timber lends itself well to creating unique and inviting bus shelters that can become engaging community projects – The bus shelter can be much more than just the means to an end!

Feel the warmth

If you have ever braced the elements as you wait for your bus, you will probably empathise when we use words like soggy or windswept. Timber bus shelters can be designed to produce greater comfort for their occupants and as a bonus will be warmer due to their timber make up. A safe, sheltered, and warm space with seats you will want to sit on! On the topic of warmth, solar panels are also an option for bus shelters, allowing nature to do its work and provide the energy needed to power any live information screens.

This is just the beginning of something we are really excited about at Doing R Bit… we would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how you imagine a bus shelter could look and improve your area.

…….Just don’t blame us if you get too comfy and miss the bus!

For more information, please contact Dave or Steve at:

dave@doingrbit.co.uk

steve@doingrbit.co.uk

Active travel storage

Supporting more sustainable travel choices on the school journey ranks high on the list of priorities for creating more sustainable schools.  Our timber scooter and cycle storage facilities increase a school’s capacity to store bikes and scooters safely, with durable, user-friendly options that look great in the school environment.

Outside the school grounds we can support cleaner air and biodiversity by providing timber parklets and planters, that repurpose car parking spaces into environmental champions!

Education and engagement

Incentive is important, that’s human nature. So, understanding the ‘whys’ of choosing more sustainable options plays a key role in encouraging the decision-making process. Doing R Bit products open the floor up for discussion, education, and engagement. Each product increases the capacity to make sustainable travel decisions in a practical sense but also provides the opportunity to educate on how we can choose more sustainable ways to do things and the associated benefits.

Each timber product comes with charm and character and its own story of sustainability beginning in the forest – supporting topics from biodiversity and climate change to physical and mental health.

Community engagement

School culture has huge potential to influence positive change and expand into other areas of the community, from pupils and staff to family of pupils and staff! When we learn great things, we want to share them.

It’s not just within school grounds where we can make a difference, we can support changes to improve the route to school, adding planters, travel storage and parklets along commuter routes that will create safer, more pleasant journeys to school and work.

The addition of sustainable products to school life is something to get conversations going inside and outside the classroom, and we believe sets a great example for others to follow.

Biodiversity

Our active travel storage can be combined with street furniture such as planters, that create pockets of biodiversity and encourage pupil interaction by enlisting their help to care for the plant life. They are ideal for giving hands on experience in cultivating mini ecosystems, with lots to learn about pollinators and wildlife. They make a great topic for discussion and support learning around environmental topics of clean air, climate change and sustainability. Similarly, our cycle shelters look pretty smart with the addition of a green roof, that brings a host of other environment benefits into the equation!

Find out more at www.doingrbit.co.uk

A simple idea and a signal of sustainability, the green roof is an undeniable asset to modern day building. A green roof in basic terms consists of a growing medium with a layer of vegetation that sits on top. They come in all different sizes and varieties, dependent on where they are being placed. We like to add a sedum roof to our timber products as they are easily maintained, robust growers and less weighty – so perfect for parklets and active travel storage within communities.

With pollution and climate change always at the forefront of our mind at Doing R Bit, we thought we’d share some of the ways a green roof benefits the environment.

Reduces pollution

Every inch of vegetation on a green roof plays its part for the climate, by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and converting it to oxygen – A real hero when it comes to adding to the carbon sink and supporting a reduction in air pollution.

Biodiversity

A diverse range of plant and flower species can be housed within a green roof, which becomes a habitat for other species! It improves ecosystems by attracting birds, wildlife, and pollinators and gives back space that would otherwise go unused- ideal for more urban and built-up areas in towns and cities, where biodiversity can be harder to come across.

Protective layer

A green roof can increase the longevity of a roof by protecting against the elements all year round, including wind, UV light and rain. They are great for absorbing and reducing rainwater run-off and preventing localised flooding, which, due to climate change is an ever-increasing problem.

Insulation

This is particularly useful for housing, workplaces, and commercial buildings. Nature is well practiced at temperature regulation, trapping heat in the colder months, and absorbing it in hotter months.  The thermal efficiency of a green roof will help to save on energy costs – financial and environmental!

And. They look great!

There’s no denying a green roof looks fantastic, helping structures blend into nature and adding vibrancy and natural elements to the area…..even better when its added to one of our natural timber designs!

So; If you have a roof….make it a green one!

Want to know more? Why not check out the Doing R Bit products at – https://www.doingrbit.co.uk/products/

And so, it was. Doing R Bit, became an overnight pursuit, that has been work in progress ever since. Its’ purpose? Provide timber alternatives for active travel storage and street furniture that encourage active travel choices, are built using sustainable materials and methods AND, play a part in protecting the environment.

The company produces a range of products from cycle shelters and scooter racks to planters and parklets, that can also incorporate additional extras, such as environmentally beneficial green roofs. Custom designed and built, their products can be an attractive addition to almost any public or private space and with them, they bring an important message. We can choose to support a sustainable future, by choosing timber.

‘We are really proud of our products and what they stand for. We want to provide customers with timber alternatives that benefit our environment as well as encouraging active travel choices.

‘Timber is a lovely material to work with, its strong, durable and it looks great- what other material do we have that only needs sun and water to grow? Not to mention its ability to capture and store carbon. It’s a remarkable material and we believe it’s time to expand its use.’

In a bid to contribute to the ever-demanding need for action on climate protection,

Doing R Bit commits to using sustainable approaches in all aspects of a project were possible, including, the use of local contractors to reduce travel, powering operations with renewable energy sources and, only ever using FSC/PEFC certified timber that has been sustainably harvested.

Their hope to have a positive impact and see progression in the industry, resonates loudly throughout their work and, is a full-time commitment for founder, Dave:

‘Quite simply, it felt like the right thing to do. A necessary thing to do. Because while we still have a way to go, there is only one way to get there; By Doing R Bit.’

Email – dave@doingrbit.co.uk

Phone – 01472 841122

Website: www.doingrbit.co.uk