Freewheel Barking & Dagenham

Launch of Freewheel Barking & Dagenham

Gordon Miller, Ride For Freedom, explains Freewheel

Freewheel service user

Pat Hayes, MD of Be First Pat Hayes, MD of Be First

Cllr Darren Rodwell, the leader of Barking & Dagenham Council

Chris Tredget, MD Willmott Dixon Construction

Freewheel by Ride For Freedom CIC is a remediation programme that empowers survivors – women, children and men – of modern day slavery to cycle to support their physical and mental health and wellbeing, independence and mobility to aid their rehabilitation into society. Freewheel’s aims and objectives contribute to SDG’s 3, 4, 5, 8.7 and 17.

The Barking & Dagenham hub, launched in March 2022, is the first of several hubs to be rolled out in cities/regions across the UK where the need and ongoing demand for the provision and service is identified.

At each hub, the intention is to enable 20-30 survivors per annum by giving them to keep a bike and accessories, including helmets, locks and lights. They will be provided with cycling proficiency and road awareness training through the national cycle training programme, Bikeability.

Ride For Freedom welcomes donations of bikes and accessories for its Freewheel programme – contact info@RideForFreedom.org if you would like to donate or discuss supporting our work in other ways.

Barking & Dagenham Freewheel Hub Impact Report 2022

This report studied the impact of the Freewheel by Ride For Freedom programme on survivors of modern slavery in Barking & Dagenham, East London. The programme provides the survivors with a bicycle, accessories and cycling proficiency and road awareness training to support their physical and mental health, as well as independence and mobility. The participants answered survey questions before and after the programme, and the report analysed and compared these answers in order to find levels of improvement amongst mental health, physical health, and general cycling ability.

With Thanks

Ride For Freedom expresses its thanks to the following companies and charities whose support has enabled the foundation of Freewheel Barking & Dagenham.