\nBefore March, I\u2019d never ridden a bike, and now I don\u2019t want to go anywhere without one.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Hassan Sabrie is one of the directors of Oxford Community Action (OCA<\/a>)<\/a>, a community organisation based in Blackbird Leys. He\u2019s a recent convert to the joys of cycling \u2013 an enthusiasm he\u2019s working hard to share with the rest of his local community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OCA was founded in 2019 with an ambition to support Black and minoritised communities. It runs projects from food growing to hiking to camping. One of its latest and most successful projects is RIDE!: getting bikes to people in the community, and teaching mums and kids to ride safely and confidently. It has transformed people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learning to RIDE!<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\u2018It\u2019s really changed things for around 20 families,\u2019 says Laura di Giacomo, who taught people to ride as part of the project \u2018It\u2019s been such a huge joy helping so many people have better access to their city. One local mum struggled to learn, and after a lot of patience and persistence, cried tears of joy when she finally started to pedal. It was a real confidence boost for her.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Another mum in Rose Hill was taking three buses with her son to get him to school every day. We started gradually, getting them to cycle to the second stop so they could avoid one bus. It built up from there, and eventually they were cycling the whole way. They\u2019ve now worked out a quiet route and love their journey to school rather than hating it.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making a difference<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Hassan sees the difference it\u2019s making for many people in his neighbourhood. \u2018Often our local families can\u2019t afford to own a car, and struggle with the cost of bus fares. Being able to ride a bike for free to get places helps hugely with family finances and means kids can access activities during the holidays. Plus it keeps you fit and healthy, which is a big motivator for a lot of people.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hassan emphasises that many members of the local community and beyond have contributed to the project. It was led by OCA and CyclAbility<\/a>, with support from local county councillors, Active Oxfordshire<\/a>, and cycling charities JoyRiders<\/a> and Broken Sp<\/a>oke<\/a>. There are big ambitions for the next step: many more families are keen to join. Hassan would like to organise regular community bike rides, and train up community leaders to become bike instructors themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maintenance of the bikes is key. A small thing like a puncture can mean a bike goes out of use for weeks, and new learners then don\u2019t retain their skills and confidence. It\u2019s therefore vital to make sure people have access to a trained bike mechanic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bikes which were distributed came from a range of sources: donated locally, via Asylum Welcome, from bike libraries or purchased with the project funding. Some were even delivered by bike trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making cycling accessible to all<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Oxford is a good place to try out cycling if you\u2019re new to it, with many safe routes around the city and more opening up in East Oxford all the time. Cyclox has recently published Oxford Online Cycle M<\/a>ap<\/a> to help new riders know where to cycle safely. But we are still not inclusive enough as a city: many people would like to start cycling but can\u2019t afford it, never learned, or worry about cycling on busy roads. With community projects like RIDE! \u2013 and many other local grassroots organisations doing similar great work \u2013 we really can make cycling accessible for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n