Portstewart bike recycling project helping asylum seekers

A bicycle recycling project in Portstewart is helping asylum seekers integrate into the community.

The Portstewart Men's Shed ReCycle project, which is not for profit, aims to rescue old bicycles from landfill, repair them and then donate them to people in need of one.

These include asylum seekers who have recently arrived in Northern Ireland.

Everyone receiving a bike is encouraged to help with the bike's restoration, allowing them to learn new skills.

Working alongside members of the Men's Shed in the County Londonderry town, people receiving a bike also learn how to restore other bikes for children and adults that are then donated to local charities.

Catherine Taylor, who is programme director of Be Safe Be Well Men's Shed, told BBC News NI that it was all about people learning new skills and giving asylum seekers an opportunity to make friendships.

"Not only does this encourage integration but it also assists asylum seekers when they need to travel to the shops, attending English classes and even medical appointments," said Catherine.

The LifeCycles project, which is based in Londonderry, has supported this new initiative by providing advice and training to the members.

It has also received financial support from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council's Asylum Dispersal programme, which is funded by Stormont's Executive Office.

Two people involved with the project are Ali Ramazani and Soheil Porkhojasteh, both originally from Iran.

Ali Ramazani said helping to restore a bike and then keeping it had been a great bonus in his life.

"Having a bike for me is like having shoes - I can get to places now I couldn't before," he said.

"Many people who are asylum seekers do not have much money so things like bus fare are very expensive for them.

"Having a bike means a trip to the shops takes half the time and you can go to places without worrying about cost."

Soheil also received a bike through the scheme and has worked on several others that are being donated to charities.

He said the project was about more than just learning new skills - there is also the chance to make connections with people.

"I really enjoy meeting new friends and this is a great way to make friendships with people and experience different cultures," he said.

"Through the Men's Shed there are also culture nights where we eat different dishes from different places and it's great."

Jamie Vinnicombe, who is the finance officer with Portstewart's Men's Shed, said many bikes were thrown into landfill when they could be salvaged for other people to benefit from them.

"We would encourage anyone to check their own shed's or back gardens for unused bicycles and let the guys here work on them," he said.

"They love getting stuck in here and giving bicycles doomed for the scrap heap a new lease of life."