Claire Bowman reflects on a Birmingham-based project relevant to our concerns for welcoming refugees and sustainability:

“When I am cycling and I can feel the wind in my face, I feel so happy. Having my bike allowed me to feel more at home in Birmingham, as I could go out and about exploring. Without the bike, I would have been so worried about travel costs, and been stuck at home, getting more depressed. My favourite part of having a bike, is the confidence and freedom it gives me every day.”

For Valentine’s Day , the Bike Project shared Majda’s story of how she fell head over heels in love with cycling. Majda is one of the Bike Project’s Pedal Power graduates from Birmingham. It’s a women only cycling course. This course is run for female refugees who want to learn how to cycle and the cycling instructors also teach road safety and confidence.

When Majda arrived in Birmingham from Sudan, she had never been on a bike before. Once she connected with Pedal Power instructors, however, she was soon wheeling around Moseley, Digbeth and throughout Brum with confidence!

Find out more about Pedal Power.

The Bike Project in Moseley renovates old cycles, including children’s bikes, and donates them to refugees. If you have unused bicycles are home you can donate them at various hubs across the city. A small way of doing your bit to help whilst avoiding landfill?