Swindon Welcomes Ukrainians donates 175th bike to refugees

Each repair costs an average of £65 and bikes are issued with a helmet, lock and lights and a document on safe riding

A group supporting Ukrainian refugees has reached a milestone by issuing its 175th bicycle to the community.

Swindon Welcomes Ukraine was set up in April 2022 to support hosts and guests through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

An initial appeal on social media for a "couple of bikes" to help people get to work, interviews and school saw vice-chair Kris Talikowski "inundated" with offers.

The group is now appealing for more donations to continue the bike project.

"We had over 40 people offering their bikes for Ukrainians, [which] was fantastic," said Mr Talikowski.

"We then had to work out how to collect them all, get them repaired, make them safe and then issued out to the growing community."

The Pattern Church donated space in which 35 bikes can be stored and worked on at a time

Local bike shops helped restore the first bikes, then the team received support from a "Magic Little Grant" from the People's Postcode Lottery via LocalGiving, with help from Swindon Cycle Campaign.

They also received a grant from Wiltshire Community Foundation.

Each repair costs an average of £65, and the bikes are then issued with a helmet, lock and lights and a document on safe riding.

SWU treasurer Dave Thrower, who is also a keen cyclist, got a bike mechanics qualification to help the team carry out the repairs themselves, using grant money and their own fundraising.

David Thrower attended a bike mechanics course so he could service the bikes to an industry standard

Mr Thrower said it had helped enable the team to issue 175 bikes so far.

The team now has four volunteers at the bike project, including two fully qualified mechanics.

Anastasiia Moskalenko (l) and Kateryna Levadna (r)

Anastasiia Moskalenko got her bike at the end of July and uses it every day.

"I used to cycle all the time in Ukraine, so I'm very happy," she said.

"My host family helped me pick it up and from the first minute I start cycling, it was very exciting because I miss my bike so much."

Committee chair Sofiia Volovyk said the operation had been a "huge success and very rewarding".

She said: "Our Ukrainian guests are extremely grateful to have independence and the means to get around socially or for school and work."

Ms Volovyk said the initiative had helped build a community and allowed guests to "integrate and contribute to the wider Swindon community".

SWU is appealing for more bikes, particularly for women and girls.