More refugees have received cycle training and refurbished bikes thanks to an award-winning project helping them get around the East Riding.
A group of 16 new residents took part in the latest two-day Refugee Cycle Project held at East Riding Leisure Beverley by East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s road safety team.
The group consisted of men and women of all ages, including some whole families, who are originally from Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine but left their home countries to come to the East Riding for better lives.
This was the fourth time the council had run the scheme in the past eight years, with the aim of helping the refugees integrate further within their communities, settle into their new surroundings and be able to travel around East Riding more independently, either for work, education, shopping or for leisure.
Since its launch, the initiative has given more than 100 refugees the chance to access free bikes and improve their cycling skills on the area’s roads.
As part of the latest intake, the group was taught both theory and practical training in the classroom and outside, initially cycling without traffic to learn fundamental skills before progressing on to public roads.
Workshops were designed to give a simple understanding of cycling on UK roads and also taught the group basic bike maintenance and upkeep.
At the end of the project those who successfully demonstrated the required skills were presented with second-hand bikes which had been reconditioned by Cottingham based charity R-evolution, as well as essential cycling equipment including helmets, bike locks, lights, puncture repair kits and hi-vis jackets.
The project was carried out in partnership with the Refugee Council and the council’s housing strategy team, which provided the interpreters and whose members also attended the event.
Councillor Paul West, the council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Delivering projects like this and seeing how much of a positive impact it can make to individuals is truly heartwarming for all the teams involved.
“I’m pleased we’ve been able to equip these refugees with the knowledge and skills they need to get around the East Riding by themselves.
“This is a testament to the collaborative working between council teams and the Refugee Council.”
Livinia Cawthorne, area manager for the Refugee Council said: “This scheme has been so beneficial for the refugees we support as it enables them to build their confidence to ride on the roads safely as well as giving them the opportunity to meet people from the local communities.
“The access to a bike is crucial for many refugees who live in rural areas and supports both physical and mental wellbeing.”
The Refugee Cycle Prokect was presented with the award for the Best Sustainable Travel Initiative in the Community at the Modeshift National Sustainable Travel Awards in 2018.
