Cycling offered newfound freedom to an individual – discover how charities are improving the lives of refugees and asylum seekers through the promotion of cycling.
In cities across the UK, initiatives like the Bristol Bike Project and Women on Wheels are making a significant difference in the lives of asylum seekers, refugees, and marginalized groups. By offering weekly workshops and providing refurbished bicycles, these projects help individuals gain independence and better access essential services.
Sammy, a woman who attended the sessions, struggled initially with balancing on a bike but eventually learned to cycle and started using her bike regularly. For her, the bicycle represents independence, power, and a small freedom.
The Bristol Bike Project, located in the heart of the city, offers a variety of refurbished bikes, including mountain bikes, gravel bikes, and road bikes. Tash Ferguson, standing outside the project, discusses the bike as a tool that can provide independence for individuals who have lost control in their lives, such as asylum seekers and refugees.
People come to the Bristol Bike Project from various services, such as NHS mental health services, addiction recovery groups, homelessness support groups, and organizations helping asylum seekers and refugees. The project's commitment to work with refugees and asylum seekers was a part of its ethos from the start, through a collaboration with Sisters Cycling.
In Glasgow, Shgufta Anwar founded Women on Wheels, a women-only bike charity based in Govanhill. The organisation offers maintenance classes and cycling sessions for refugees and asylum seekers, as well as for women with various barriers to cycling. Women on Wheels, established in 2022, focuses on addressing the gap for women of colour in the cycling community.
The impact of these projects extends beyond physical mobility. Bicycles enable easier and faster travel to health services, support centres, and social hubs, which is crucial when public transport may be costly, complicated, or unavailable in the regions where asylum seekers live.
Cycling also connects individuals with their local communities and helps break isolation by encouraging exploration and social interaction within the city or town they reside in. Participating in cycling can improve psychological well-being by fostering independence and physical activity, which are important during periods of uncertainty and waiting for asylum decisions.
The Bristol Bike Project's 10-year anniversary video features bike riders smiling and the countryside zipping by, with one voice saying, "I've never been on a bike before," and expressing a sense of freedom and control. Women on Wheels has seen a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of the refugees and asylum seekers who attend their sessions.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 109,536 people were waiting on an initial decision on their asylum application at the end of March this year. Nearly one third (31%) of these individuals have already been waiting for over a year. The mobility provided by bike projects like Bristol Bike Project and Women on Wheels is more than just a means of transportation; it's a tool for empowerment and integration for marginalized groups facing social and logistical barriers.
To donate a bike to the Bristol Bike Project or to get involved as a volunteer, you can find their website here. To find out more about Women on Wheels, you can find out more here. Your support can make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
The Bristol Bike Project, amidst offering various types of refurbished bicycles, aims to provide independence and improved access to essential services for individuals, such as asylum seekers and refugees. Cycling, as a tool for empowerment, connects individuals with their local communities, fostering independence and breaking isolation.
In Glasgow, Women on Wheels, a women-only bike charity, focuses on addressing the gap for women of colour in the cycling community and offers maintenance classes and cycling sessions for refugees and asylum seekers, improving their psychological well-being and mental health.
