Cycling far and wide collecting kit during lockdown

During the first UK lockdown, Kit Store Supervisor Gary Morgan kept himself busy collecting kit store equipment from students dotted across Greater London. Cycling through all weathers and blistering temperatures, Gary managed to safetly retrieve all the equipment and even got a nice tan in the process. Here he shares his story:

"It's hard to say if my summer as a cycle courier was appreciated. There weren't many instances where equipment wasn't just shoved out of a door and into my hands! But it certainly brought about a change in my daily routine of sitting at my dining table on my laptop. 

The project came about during term 3 when I told Course Leader Derek Yates I'd take care collecting the Apple products that third year Advertising & Brand Design students had been loaned. As the Kit Store had facilitated the loans, we were best placed to deal with who had what and where. Combining it with the Kit Store and Library collections allowed me to kill three birds with one stone. 

I mapped out where the assets were in the UK and made a decision on whether they were collectable by myself (on bike), collectable by another staff member (primarily south east London) or were in need of a courier. 

Bunching together collections in south-west, east, and north London, and somewhat farther afield in Essex (Billericay being the furthest collection point), I cycled a total of 342 miles between 18 June and 3 August. 

I rode through torrential rain and temperatures up to 35 degrees and I succeeded in collecting almost every item I set out to collect. I also got my tan and daily exercise allowance sorted for lockdown! 

This project has birthed a Kit Store project, which is still in the planning stages, of offering equipment collection and returns via cycle courier, for students unable to access the building, and to provide a more sustainable method of transportation."