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Encouraging Diversity, Muslim Cycling Group Features in BBC Documentary

A Liverpool cycling group aimed at promoting cycling among Muslim mothers, asylum seekers, and people from across the wider community is the subject of a new BBC documentary set to be aired tonight.

Our Toxteth Cycle Club documentary is about the Toxteth based Cycle of Life (COL), a cycling group founded in 2020 by Ibe Hayter.

Hayter, along with a team of staff and volunteers, works with children from low-income families as well as people in the community, many who have never cycled before.

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โ€œI was surprised such a small organization would get national attention, but pleased the work weโ€™re doing is being recognized. I hope other cities would follow suit by getting more people in cycling, especially from backgrounds of people who donโ€™t normally cycle,โ€ Ibe told Liverpool ECHO.

โ€œEveryone can contribute to a greener and cleaner environment by cutting down on car usage, saving the planet for future generations. Climate change is on the global agenda.โ€

Encouraging Diversity, Muslim Cycling Group Features in BBC Documentary - About Islam

New Friendships

Yasser Hadi Aldifayri, 18, one of the participants originally from Kuwait, said the program helped him make new friends.

โ€œThey teach us a lot of things, different parts of the bike like seat, wheel and chain and now itโ€™s easy for me to fix my bike,โ€ he said.

Ibe said: โ€œFor me personally itโ€™s very central to our aims that ethnic minority children โ€ฆ can have equal access just like everyone else in the country.

โ€œThis programs not just about cycling, itโ€™s also about the young people feeling part of the city, to get to know their peers and make friendships that last past the courseโ€.

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Based at The Kuumba Imani Millenium Centre on Princes Road, Cycle of Life also runs a program targeting Muslim women.

Volunteer Shazia Chaudary, who leads Women on Bikes, said the stigma needs breaking.

โ€œIโ€™m trying to break down that stigma, to encourage [Muslim] women to come out for cycling and learn new skills,โ€ she said.

โ€œWhen I see them getting more confidence, this inspires me to keep going,โ€ she said.