“The bike provides me with mobility and easy access to all parts of the city without being dependent buying expensive bus tickets. If you are an asylum seeker you are not allowed to work and have an allowance of just over five pounds a day. Having a bike makes your life easier and healthier.”
Bikes for Refugees
Supporting 'New Scots'
Bikes for Refugees (Scotland) is a charitable organisation that recycles and repairs donated bikes and distributes them to refugees and asylum seekers, known as 'New Scots'.
Refugees and asylum seekers are often isolated and the cost of public transport can impact their ability to attend essential home office meetings, language classes and medical appointments.
Over 1,000 bikes
Bikes for Refugees has had a significant impact on people's lives, upcycling and handing out over 1,000 bikes since being established in 2016.
Looking to expand their work and improve the lives of more people, the organisation sought support from Cycling Scotland, applying for funding for a range of infrastructure developments including refurbishment of a bike workshop, installation of a bike shelter, an e-cargo bike for the transportation of goods and resources, sessional work and a training budget to assist refugees in taking up cycling.
£20,000 of funding has enabled Bikes for Refugees to grow their base from a workshop to a cycle hub where they can repair bikes, welcome families, and distribute bikes.
"Having a bike makes your life easier and healthier"
The funding has helped them double their monthly Edinburgh output from an average of 15 to 30 bikes per month. This has helped decrease social isolation and the economic barrier of public transport, allowing ‘New Scots’ the chance to attend meetings, meet new people and access essential services.
Zozan, an asylum seeker, received a bike and describes the positive impact it has:
“The bike provides me with mobility and easy access to all parts of the city without being dependent buying expensive bus tickets. If you are an asylum seeker you are not allowed to work and have an allowance of just over five pounds a day. It is also very important for personal health. When you don’t have time or money to go for gym and swimming, cycling makes you always active. Having a bike makes your life easier and healthier.”
"The transformational power of bikes"
Steven McCluskey, who founded Bikes for Refugees, says of the support he received from Cycling Scotland “The development programme is a key Scottish fund which many community projects have benefited from considerably. The financial and other support we have received from Cycling Scotland has been invaluable and has enabled us to reach and support more isolated and socio-economically disadvantaged families than ever before introducing many people to the transformational power of bikes and cycling for the first time.”
Award-winning
Now a recipient of the Silver Cycling Friendly Communities award, Bikes for Refugees have received further support from Cycling Scotland to develop their bike hire scheme to generate income to reinvest into the charity and continue delivering on their charitable aims and objectives.
