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Donated bikes help refugees feel better connected

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The inspiration for the charity arrived on Christmas Eve nine years ago when Steven and his partner Beth met Yaman who’d recently arrived from Syria.

He had bought a beaten up old bike online so the couple took him to their local bike shop, Pedal Forth Cycles in Leith, to try and get it fixed up.

“The bike wasn’t worth repairing but the guy who ran the bike shop very kindly donated a bike to Yaman,” Steven says.

“I noticed how something quite simple – that you or I might take for granted – just made a massive impact on his daily life. It helped him to connect to local services, it promoted his mental health and wellbeing. It enabled him to meet other people.”

Since 2016, Bikes for Refugees has expanded, setting up community hubs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, staffed by about 50 volunteers.

At the end of last year the charity reached a milestone when it handed over its 3,000th bike.

“It has grown organically. It’s been about identifying a need and trying to respond to in a creative way,” Steven says.


BBC News

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