Welcome by Wheels: Sanctuary Wheels donates over 140 bikes to refugees across Oxfordshire

Sanctuary Wheels launched in May 2022 and has already reached its first milestone by donating over 140 bikes to refugees across the county. This includes many refugees from Ukraine, who were forced to flee their country due to the conflict.

Sanctuary Wheels is a fantastic example of partnership working in action. The project is run by Cyclox in partnership with Active Oxfordshire, Asylum Welcome, TRAX, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and many other community organisations across the county. Bikes are donated by members of the public, then safety checked and refurbished ready to use. We are also providing helmets, lights, locks and tuition to make sure that refugees can enjoy their new bikes safely.

Having a bike makes a huge difference in helping newly arrived refugees to settle, access essential services and get to know their new community. We are delighted that Sanctuary Wheels has already been able to help more than 100 refugees, including Arina (Erin). This is her story:

Erin was living in Dnipro with her family when the conflict in Ukraine began. She and her mother had to move around the country to find safety before leaving and are now living with relatives in Oxford. Their family hosts had heard about Sanctuary Wheels and contacted them. Erin was given a reconditioned bike. Since then, she has loved getting out and about on her bike and has been exploring the cycle paths along the Thames down to Iffley lock.

Stuart Henshaw, Erin's host, commented:

"Just a quick note to thank you for the bicycle, helmet and lock which you kindly gave us today. Erin is absolutely delighted and has already been cycling around the parks and cycle paths of Oxford. She was really missing her bike which was left behind in Dnipro. I am sure she will get plenty of use particularly when we get her into a school. Once again, many thanks."

You can support Sanctuary Wheels by donating bikes or contributing to our fundraising appeal, which covers the cost of helmets, lights, locks and any bike refurbishment needed. We are particularly in need of bike donations at the moment, so if you have a bike that you can donate, please get in touch by emailing honsec@cyclox.org

We want to be able to support many more people like Erin, so please do help us by spreading the word, too. To find out more and get involved, please visit https://www.activeoxfordshire.org/sanctuary-wheels

Photo shows Erin with her bike in Oxford