Riding a bike can have a massively positive impact on mental health, which is why Oasis Cardiff created Cycle Cardiff #ShareToRepair; a project working with refugees and asylum seekers to up-cycle bikes and give them the independence to explore their new city.
Oasis Cardiff is a support and service centre for refugees and asylum seekers residing in Cardiff. Based on Splott Road, the main aim and vision of the centre is to help refugees and asylum seekers integrate into the local community.
Before Covid, Oasis had 150 – 250 visitors daily. This included people from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Mali, and Congo among many other countries.
Oasis runs various women-only sessions and groups, art classes, English
language classes, sports sessions, advisory sessions, advocacy forums, relaxation sessions, and provide a delicious free lunch every weekday.
To involve and engage the local and wider community with what they do, the team at Oasis also runs regular community events and fundraisers, like the Cycle Cardiff #ShareToRepair campaign which launched on Wednesday 26th August and runs until Wednesday 30th September.
#ShareToRepair is a project to work alongside refugees and asylum seekers
to up-cycle bikes and give them the independence to explore their new city.
The majority of Oasis clients live and receive support from organisations in one area of Cardiff, which means they are unlikely to explore and enjoy other areas of the city that could have a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
This campaign aims to tackle the issue by providing free bikes and regular bike maintenance for Oasis members. This will provide people with social mobility, independence as well as a sense of belonging.
The centre aims to raise £4000 so that the project can run for up to 12 months. Receiving this amount will ensure that:
- Up to 4 client volunteers can receive industry-standard training to support bike maintenance;
- Volunteers and staff will be able to offer up to 10 clients a week a new bike, as well as offer them maintenance and support;
- Over 500 bikes will be maintained or given away within those 12 months.
How you can help
Make a donation to the appeal via Encouraging people to donate via http://bit.ly/CycleCardiffShareToRepair
Don’t forget to take a piccie of you and your bike and help spread the word using the hashtag #ShareToRepair.