Recipients of bicycles donated by a Camberwell repair shop say the initiative has helped them integrate into their new community and stay healthy.

The Camberwell shop has provided thousands of refugees and asylum seekers with donated bikes as part of the Bike Project, an eight-year-old initiative that takes in used bikes and repairs and redistributes them.

Hala, who received a bike from the Camberwell shop, said: “Reducing the gap of who can access exercise and physical activity is so important, especially for refugees. Beyond just providing a bike, The Bike Project helps refugees integrate in every way. For me personally, the impact is so clear. I feel more like part of a community due to my new bike. And I am sure other refugees feel the same.”

The Bike Project operates a second location in Birmingham for repair and redistribution of second-hand bikes. According to the Project’s 2021 Impact report, its goal when it started was to meet a pressing community need, which is to provide transportation to vulnerable people.

Hala, like many refugees, says a bike helps her be physically active, which allows her to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Many refugees arrive in a new country with little or nothing, so the Project decided to focus on them. The Project also helps with jobs and opportunities to refugees.

The Bike Project has provided nearly 10,000 refugees with bikes since 2013. There were 225,000 refugees in the UK in 2021, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

Transport for London estimates that nearly 28,000 bikes are abandoned each year.