The Bike Project gets refugees cycling. They do that by donating bikes, but also by teaching some refugees how to cycle.
Living on less than £40 a week, while being prohibited to work, can be difficult – and doubly so for women who often are less likely to cycle than men.
Their Pedal Power program teaches cycling to refugee women in a safe, supportive and empowering environment. With lessons that focus on confidence, road safety and even maintenance, the Pedal Power graduates leave with more than just the ability to cycle.
- 660 women have learned to cycle through the Pedal Power programme since 2014, 95 women in 2022
- Some of the Pedal Power graduates go on to learn bike mechanic skills or become qualified cycling instructors in order to lend their skills to others
You can read more about their impact to the end of 2021 here.
A quote from a Pedal Power graduate: “It helped me to find new friends, and now we are talking about for our problems and we have same experience, and we discuss each other about our experiences. It makes me feel more stronger and confident in myself.”
VAELA has set up a team for Ride London Essex in support of The Bike Project. This is a 100 mile ride on 28th May 2023. Click here to join the VAELA team. Vaela will reimburse entry fees (£20 per person) for anyone joining our team. Places are limited.
100 miles is a (very) long way and if this is literally too far, you can support The Bike Project in a number of ways: you can donate by sponsoring our team here; donate a bike; or, buy a bike.
