The cycling club helping homeless women regain independence
by Lucy Colbeck and Emilie Charlesworth from Environment | The Guardian on (#3M24M)
Two Sustrans staff members explain how offering residents of a women's hostel the freedom of cycling is helping to improve their mental wellbeing
A cycling session at Queen Mary homeless women's hostel in London starts with some reflection in the tea room. Eleven women discuss how they're doing this week, how the cycling went for them last week and what they're hoping to build on in today's session. Then they push their bikes to a local basketball court to practise in the safety of an off-road environment. Supported by instructors from Westminster council's training team, they practise riding by themselves; pushing off, cycling in a straight line, looking over one shoulder, turning, keeping going.