“I enjoyed cycling with my father as a child – it was all about roaming freely and going where you want to go. I tried to pass this on to my own children,” says Cycle of Life’s Ibe Hayter, “but I found that they didn’t enjoy it as much, as there wasn’t a cycling culture in my diverse neighbourhood.
Ibe understood that over the next 10 years it was inevitable that cities would change drastically and we rely less and less on cars and public transport to travel but cycling and walking will become the new norm. He realised a radical new approach would be required to tackle the social inequalities in mobility, health, emissions and socio economic status in the city/region as well as the other barriers that prevent people from cycling.
Liverpool City Council social workers approached Ibe and Cycle of Life to discuss providing bikes and cycle training to unaccompanied children to reduce their isolation, enable them to travel to services/amenities, work and college, meet friends, stay safe and improve their mental health and wellbeing in these difficult times. Their principal barriers to choosing to cycle were not having the money to purchase a cycle,
The project is designed to be delivered over 6 weeks. It will provide unaccompanied minors with the confidence to cycle safely on British Roads, to maintain their bikes independently, to recognise routes in their area and will culminate in the young people receiving a bike of their own. Some of our volunteers are retired bike mechanics and it will be a great opportunity for inter generational work and a chance for recipients to improve their spoken English.
We also intend to purchase a cargo bike and work with designated foodbanks in the L8 area. We will provide food parcels and other services to needy individuals who are in need but unable to travel due to shielding, infirmity, illness and other reasons.