Latest news with #SunnyCycles
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Cycle Law Scotland support community cycling initiative
As part of this exciting partnership, Rod Mitchell of Cycle Law Scotland joined one of Sunny Cycles' monthly inclusive cycling sessions. The session, delivered in collaboration with OPEKA — a charity supporting adults with Additional Support Needs (ASN) — provided a first-hand look at the transformative impact of accessible cycling on health, confidence, and community connection. This corporate support will enable Sunny Cycles to deliver more inclusive cycling sessions, reaching a wider group of participants and helping to create a safer, more welcoming cycling culture in the city. 'At Cycle Law Scotland, we are committed to protecting the rights and wellbeing of cyclists across Scotland,' said Rod Mitchell, Marketing Director. 'Supporting inclusive community initiatives like those run by Sunny Cycles aligns perfectly with our culture and values, and we are delighted to contribute to such meaningful work.' Specialists in legal representation for cyclists involved in road traffic incidents, Cycle Law Scotland advocates for safer roads and better infrastructure for all who travel on two wheels. This partnership reflects a shared vision of cycling as a safe, empowering, and inclusive mode of transport. Sunny Cycles expressed their gratitude: 'Having Cycle Law Scotland as our first corporate supporter is a milestone. Their belief in our work and their presence in our community sessions makes a real difference. We're excited about what we can achieve together.' Learn more about Sunny Cycles at: 1 . Contributed Rod Mitchell, Cycle Law Scotland Marketing Director, tries out a hand-powered bicycle. Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 2 . Contributed Rod Mitchell of Cycle Law Scotland hands over cheque for £1500 to Sunny Cycles Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 4 . Contributed Disability bicycle desgned for two people Photo: Submitted Photo Sales Related topics: GlasgowScotland
The National
11-05-2025
- The National
Cycling group setting wheels in motion for women in Scotland
Women On Wheels' Tuesday begins with a morning session for beginners, where riders navigate cones and obstacles, gaining one-to-one advice on how to improve their cycling skills. In the afternoon, another session allows more confident riders to set out on a gentle ride around the surrounding area, through parks or woodland areas, with hills or more challenging terrain. The women attending these sessions are New Scots who have arrived in Scotland from countries including Iran, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ukraine. Some of the women are experiencing cycling as a new hobby, and for others, they are trying to rebuild their lives and navigate an unfamiliar city, looking for connections and routine. The purpose of the sessions is not only to improve riders' skills, but to give the women a better understanding of their local area, improving their confidence to navigate Glasgow. The sessions often cover bike rides in Queen's Park or Kelvingrove, and recently helped one woman build the confidence to cycle from Maryhill all the way to the southside. For some, cultural and religious rules have prevented women from learning to cycle in their home country. Soraya, a young woman from Tanzania, explained how she had cycled as a child before being forced to give it up due to restrictions that prevented women from cycling. She said: 'In my country, as a teenager I had to stop cycling. It is especially difficult as a Muslim and while wearing a headscarf.' Since attending the sessions in Glasgow, she has seen women of different faiths and nationalities take up the activity and says 'cycling now makes me feel free'. Eilidh has run multiple riding sessions with refugees across different charities in Glasgow for almost a decade. She has successfully brought together women from across groups such as Sunny Cycles and Bikes for Refugees, to a space where women are sure to feel welcomed and comfortable. As with many grassroots initiatives, she has hopped from project to project, supporting people until funding has run out. READ MORE: Doctor who grew up in Gaza gives 'emotional' speech at Highlands pro-Palestine march Her informal WhatsApp group chat ''Cycling Sisters' is part of the success of the sessions. This group brings together women from different charities, ensuring that women are never left behind if the funding for projects runs out. Rides and sessions are shared here, as well as photographs and funny videos. Most of the women have heard about the sessions through word of mouth. For many, it is not just a cycling group but a support network, which has allowed them to gain access to more support services in Scotland or even to hear about volunteering and work opportunities. As asylum seekers are not allowed to work, many women are keen to find volunteering jobs that fit around their ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses, a college programme that helps refugees to learn English. Women On Wheels helps to put women in contact with other groups and on the most recent Tuesday ride, the session stopped at Urban Roots, a community-led gardening project, where one woman was introduced to volunteering opportunities. The women feel that cycling is not only beneficial for their physical health, but for their mental health and sense of belonging. Edith, from Nigeria, is one of dozens of women who has taken part in the cycling sessions and feels an increased sense of community and friendship since joining. Edith was introduced to Eilidh when she was still living in hotel accommodation in Glasgow and describes the sessions as giving her confidence and happiness in an extremely challenging time. Women On Wheels works closely with the Scottish Refugee Council and will be hosting an event for Refugee Festival Scotland, taking place from June 13-22. Women from across different refugee sessions will be invited to a dinner at the Milk Cafe where they can share delicious food, in keeping with their cultures. For many, hotel food has been unfamiliar and poor, with little opportunity to cook and eat their preferred dishes. In a time of polarised political discourse surrounding refugees and displaced people, Women On Wheels and its refugee sessions are a quiet and powerful network, whose amazing work has mostly gone unnoticed. For the women who take part, these sessions are more than a bike ride. They are a space to grow in confidence, build community and friends and gain a sense of freedom and knowledge about the local area.
