Cycling freedom
Aug 2010
There are many young people in Sheffield who would love to cycle, but have no money to buy food, let alone a bike. These are destitute asylum seekers - many of them young men stuck here with no money, without permission to work, frightened of being deported back home to the dangerous situation from which they have fled, and denied support or housing from the Government. They get by with help from friends or from ASSIST, an organisation presently helping 80 of these would-be refugees with £15 per week. Many of the 2000 or more in this situation live on the street at least part of the time. Even those who have managed to get Section 4 support (for those willing to risk future deportation when the authorities decide it is safe to return them) only get electronic supermarket cards, not money for transport, etc. For them the possession of a bike brings freedom to roam at least, a tremendous difference to their sense of well-being. They have just a little more control over their lives.
So here comes the crunch - ASSIST has many volunteers keeping the project going with a fundraising team; a team organising accommodation mainly with volunteer hosts; a team trying to help people with their cases when legal help is very difficult to access ... and now it has a bike team. Have you a repairable bike to donate? Or have you the time to help the bike team get, repair or maintain bikes, or train destitute people to ride and maintain them?
Would you like to make life more bearable for these people and be able to give them the means to get about?
If you can help in this way the group would be very glad to hear from you. Tel Sheff 2585715 (home) or 2754960 (office) or email rmspooner@btopenworld.com
