The True North project by the True North Biker Club today held an event to launch it's new community hub, and were joined by the Telford Mayor.
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00:00So we're here in Tiddington and Dan Wharton, hello sir.
00:03Oh yeah.
00:04So Dan, you represent True North Project.
00:07Yep.
00:08And it's Unit 9 behind us there, that's kind of your base.
00:11It is, yes.
00:11What is the True North Project, Woody?
00:13So the True North Project has been given birth by giving back to the community.
00:20Not only giving back to the community, but also growing the community.
00:25I run True North Bikers, which is a riding group in Shropshire.
00:28We give back to the community.
00:32From that, we've done True North Project, which will be officially served.
00:43So what will this space be then?
00:46What will be happening here and who will be welcome here?
00:48So everyone's welcome, the whole community.
00:51Doesn't matter if you ride a bike or do not ride a bike.
00:54Families, children.
00:56We will be doing mental health training.
00:58Here, we'll be doing suicide awareness training here.
01:01And just generally having and building that community.
01:05I'm intrigued as to where the True North Bikers name comes from.
01:09Where's the True North coming to it?
01:10So True North, there's two sayings.
01:12One of them is a veteran saying.
01:14The other one is a mental health saying.
01:16So a veteran saying is, when you're lost, True North is find your way home.
01:22The mental health saying is, everyone's got an internal compass.
01:26So when it's wavering, True North is find your way.
01:30So True North Bikers, we will help you find your way.
01:33Oh wow, I've just learned something new.
01:35I like that, I like that.
01:36So is there quite a lot of veterans that are part of True North Bikers then?
01:39There is, yes.
01:40Yeah.
01:41There is, yeah.
01:41And obviously you do find, you know, they've been through a lot.
01:45I hope we've got another one on the right.
01:46And there is kind of a lot of issues with mental health, isn't there, with veterans?
01:51Yeah, it's just veterans in general.
01:53Yeah, yeah.
01:54They're very lost at the moment.
01:56So what we're trying to do is to bring that back out.
02:00We have also created the Steve Rawlings project, which will be a YouTube channel.
02:07Yeah.
02:07So that will be veterans telling their stories.
02:11And then today we've got the mayor down.
02:15We have.
02:15Eileen, she's going to be officially launching the project sort of thing.
02:18And then what else is happening?
02:20I couldn't smell something cooking.
02:21Yes, we've got the good old barbecue going on.
02:24Cool.
02:24We've got the kids upstairs messing about playing pool.
02:28We've got the darts being thrown.
02:31And how many members have you got bikers of True North Bikers?
02:35With the community and the riding group, we've got just over a thousand people.
02:40Wow, that's massive, isn't it?
02:41Yeah, yeah.
02:42So we must stress, this project, this new project is open.
02:46You haven't got to have a bike to be part of it.
02:47No.
02:48And if people want to find out a little bit more, how do they?
02:50Just go onto the community page.
02:52Yeah.
02:52And what we'll be doing is obviously the events we'll be putting up on there.
02:57It won't be open 24-7.
02:59It'll obviously be open at set times, probably later on in the evenings.
03:03But if anybody does need anything at any point, 24-7, the page is always open.
03:08And my number is always open as well.
03:10Great stuff.
03:11Well, thanks for all you're doing.
03:12Good work in the community, Danny.
03:14It's much needed.
03:15And people like you are there to pick up where other services is.
03:18It's everybody.
03:18It's not just myself.
03:19It's everybody in True North.
03:20Yeah, yeah.
03:21It's not just me.
03:22I can hand on heart, turn around and say it's the whole of True North.
03:25They aren't the same mentality.
03:27That's off to True North.
03:28So we're here with newly elected Mayor, Eileen.
03:31It's second job in the mayoral duties.
03:35Second official event, yeah.
03:36It couldn't be better.
03:37It's a lovely day to end the back out again.
03:38It is, isn't it?
03:39Yeah, they did promise that you'd come back out this afternoon.
03:42What do you think of what you've heard, Danny?
03:43What Dan and the gang are trying to do down here at True North?
03:46It's absolutely fabulous.
03:48I've been chatting to some of the guys here when I arrived.
03:51And they've been telling me about the importance of some of the work that's been going on here.
03:55It's a space for them.
03:57So it's got the things that they love, the interest that they've got with the motorbikes and all different things.
04:02But also, it's just got that sort of company that they need.
04:08The people here really up for supporting each other through all kinds of different things.
04:13Mental health issues, different kinds of struggles.
04:17And it's just really, really nice to hear the message that is coming from all of the people here today for this open day.
04:25About how important the work that is going on here is and it's going to be.
04:30And they're hoping to build on that, obviously, over the future.
04:32So I'll be looking to support that.
04:35Now, I did ask.
04:36I thought the answer was probably going to be no.
04:38But I asked anyway.
04:39I said, Eileen, are you a biker?
04:40And you actually used to have a dabble on the motocross?
04:43I've ridden motocross bikes before, yeah.
04:46The last time wasn't that successful.
04:47So I did fall off and graze my chin quite badly.
04:50That made you reconsider your motocross career.
04:53Yeah.
04:54And I've never really done the road bikes.
04:57But I've got my eldest son who's a real motorbike fan.
05:01So he loves motocross riding.
05:03But he also likes road bikes.
05:05So it's just a bit of a heart attack when you're the mom of a bike.
05:09I can well imagine, yeah, yeah.
05:11But it's a close-knit community, isn't it, the bikers?
05:13So it's nice to see them using that to some good use.
05:16It is.
05:17But they're such a lovely group.
05:19And I think sometimes people get the wrong impression about people that ride motorbikes.
05:22So they're a really friendly and sort of helpful group.
05:29So all of the people that I spoke to today have been so lovely.
05:32And they're just really, really trying to support each other as best as they can around the interests that they share.
05:41But you couldn't meet a more lovely group of guests than so.