Chris Barrett

Director of Operations & Impact Lead, Bamboo Bicycle Club

Making business a force for good.

Chris Barrett is a social enterprise founder and impact leader with over 20 years of experience bringing together business, sustainability and social purpose.

Chris Barrett holding a reclaimed timber board in front of stacked wood.
Photo: Chris Barrett at thinkFOUND, Waltham Forest Echo, 2021.

His career spans creative industries, education, sustainable manufacturing and community development, united by a belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to discover what they're capable of.

At Bamboo Bicycle Club, Chris turns ambitious ideas into practical programmes, bringing together people, partnerships and innovative approaches to create meaningful, lasting social impact.

Based in London

A little adventure. The right amount of trouble.

Chris believes life is richer with curiosity, adventure and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. He's a firm believer in getting into the “right amount of trouble” — something he's still figuring out how to define.

A career shaped by people and purpose.

Chris's journey into social enterprise wasn't conventional.

After teaching English in South Korea, Chris spent six years travelling and working as a freelance photojournalist, documenting social issues in places as varied as North Korea, Iran and the Calais refugee camp. His work appeared in publications including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Guardian and The Telegraph, with research for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, exhibitions across Europe and guest lectures at universities throughout the UK.

Those experiences shaped his understanding of inequality, opportunity and the importance of giving people a voice.

But Chris wanted to go beyond documenting social challenges. He wanted to help create practical solutions.

From waste materials to new opportunities.

In 2016, Chris founded thinkFOUND, a social enterprise built around a simple principle: materials and people both have untapped potential.

By transforming waste timber into furniture, thinkFOUND brought together circular design, sustainable manufacturing and opportunities for young people facing barriers to employment.

The business connected practical skills with confidence, work experience and pathways into the creative and construction industries.

His work has been recognised by local authorities, the Mayor of London and through a range of social enterprise awards, reflecting his commitment to sustainability, innovation and creating meaningful social impact.

A personal connection to second chances.

Chris's commitment to prevention, rehabilitation and opportunities for people facing disadvantage is also rooted in his family history.

On one side of his family, his grandfather grew up in a boys' home, experiencing a difficult childhood that continued to shape his life as an adult.

On the other side of his family, his grandparents volunteered with the probation service, travelling across the country to support people involved in the criminal justice system and their families.

These two sides of his family gave Chris a perspective on both the consequences of disadvantage and the difference that compassion, practical support and human connection can make.

Operations and impact. Programmes that fit.

Chris has been a director of Bamboo Mobility Project CIC since 2025. As Director of Operations & Impact Lead, he looks after the practical side of our programmes, from the first conversation to the final report.

He works with local authorities, schools, colleges, community hubs and prisons to find out what each organisation needs.

He also builds the networks that keep the work going, bringing councils, funders and community partners together so that more people get the chance to learn by making.

Thinking about a programme for your organisation? Email Chris at chris@bamboobicycleclub.org.

Meet the team.

The whole team, on Our Story

Photo: Chris Barrett at thinkFOUND, Waltham Forest Echo, 2021.