Bicycles wanted for refugees and asylum seekers
PEOPLE LIKE NATALIIA FROM UKRAINE ALREADY BENEFITING
USED or abandoned bikes are wanted by a charity to share with refugees and asylum seekers.
The Bike Project said the arrival of 82,100 Ukrainian – and about 600 in Leicestershire – meant its work has never been in more demand.
Members of the public can donate bikes at drop-off points including the one run by Simon Higgins, 65, from Ashby.
He has collected about 200 bicycles since setting up the collection point at his home in February 21.
He said: “About two years ago my wife upgraded her bike and we decided to give her old one to charity.
“I discovered The Bike Project and found the nearest drop-off point which was over 20 miles away.
“The charity helped me to set up a bike drop-off point at my house in Ashby.
“It was a very easy process and we were soon collecting about 10 bikes a month. I am amazed at the distances people travel and the quality of some of the bikes I receive. It has made me appreciate people’s generosity.”
Simon and his wife Anita are hosting Ukrainian refugees Nataliia Diachenko and her daughter Marharyta, 11, pictured.
He said: “I wasn’t expecting to host refugees when I started volunteering for The Bike Project, but now I can see first hand how a bike has made a difference to Nataliia and Marharyta.
“It is both rewarding and humbling to be a part of this project.”
Nataliia said: “I left Ukraine in March with my daughter, my cousin and her daughter.
“We crossed the border into Poland and then travelled on to Germany, Paris, then Spain, living in hostels and were dependent on handouts for food and clothing.
“My cousin and I wanted to build a new life for our children, free from fear and danger. We travelled to the UK in May under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and are living with our sponsors, Simon and Anita, in Ashby. I now have a part-time job and our daughters have started school.
“The bikes have made a real difference to us. The first time I went out on it I felt a real sense of freedom and independence.
“I enjoy being able to explore the countryside, towns and villages and I also use it to get to the shops and to visit my cousin. It is invaluable to me.”
Jem Stein, chief executive of The Bike Project, said: “A bike can help provide a safe, free method of transport so they can access vital services such as immigration support and food banks.
“It can be a means of exercise and a way of connecting with a community of cyclists. We have already supported 23 Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers, but need the public’s support to provide bikes to many more.”