I'm raising £2,500 to help Matt Jones Replace Stolen Tools

The Bike Shed Old Town – Swindon

Yesterday morning, a bike shed at The Bike Shed Swindon was broken into, and specialist professional tools belonging to Matt Jones were stolen. The door was also damaged during the break-in.

Matt owns and runs The Bike Shed Old Town, providing professional bike repairs and servicing as his livelihood. Alongside this, since the early 2020s, Matt has quietly carried out incredible community work.

Every year, he refurbishes unwanted and donated bikes and runs a voluntary Christmas bike scheme, gifting them to children who would otherwise go without.

At Christmas 2025 alone, Matt gave out over 178 bikes, with final numbers likely exceeding 200 – helping children in Swindon wake up to a bike on Christmas morning.

🛠️ Items stolen

Specialist professional workshop tools, including:

• Wheel truing stand

• Torque wrench

• Cone wrench sets

• Bottom bracket tools

• Derailleur alignment gauge

• Hydraulic brake bleed kit

• Cassette lockring tools

• Chain whip

• Crank puller

• Bearing press tools

• Professional cable cutters

• Pedal spanner

• Spoke keys (full set)

• Headset press

• Workstand accessories

These are the exact tools Matt uses to:

• strip and rebuild donated bikes

• repair brakes and gears

• true and align wheels (straighten wobbly wheels so they spin properly)

• make bikes safe and roadworthy

• prepare bikes for children at Christmas

Without this essential equipment, Matt cannot safely continue his work or run his business.

🎯 Fundraising target: £2,500

This reflects the real cost of replacing professional tools and repairing the damaged door.

Funds raised will go directly towards:

✔ Replacing stolen equipment

✔ Repairing the damaged door

✔ Getting the workshop fully operational again

✔ Protecting future Christmas bike schemes & a small business.

📸 Photographs of the stolen items are shared in the facebook page of The Bike Shed - Old Town

Matt has supported local families quietly for years.

Now it’s our turn to support him.

Thank you for donating or sharing 💙