THERE are peals of laughter and a couple of jolly shrieks as the ladies of Glasgow Afghan United’s (GAU) Women’s Empowerment Project take to their bikes.

The group of 15 women are participating in a six-week block of cycle training, from charity Bike for Good, helping them to get in the saddle but also build confidence and self-esteem.

As a metaphor for freedom it could not be any neater. Were she in her home country, Yusra Naderi would not be allowed to take part in this simple act.

Mrs Naderi came to Scotland from Afghanistan around five years ago and is settled here now with her husband and two young children who, she says, she wants to give "all the opportunities and freedom."

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The 30-year-old said: "When I was a child my father was very strict. I loved dolls but my father would not allow me to play with dolls, he said it was a sin.

"There was no question of riding a bike. Now, in Afghanistan, women are not allowed to study, we are not allowed to ride bikes, women have no freedom in my country but now in Scotland we have got a lot of opportunities to study and I can learn to ride a bike like this."

Mrs Naderi was in a local Spar shop, new to the city, and bumped into Khalida Bastani, who runs Glasgow Afghan United (GAU) with her husband Abdul.

Joining GAU has been transformative, giving Mrs Naderi a wide group of friends and, six weeks ago, she joined the cycle training group. 

Mrs Naderi, who is also studying childcare at college, added: "I had a dream to learn to ride a bike, to learn to drive a car, so it's good to learn one of these things and as well, it's a form of exercise.

"If you want to be fit, you have to ride a bike and burn the calories. I have fallen over two times but I have gotten back up.

The Herald:

"Riding the bike is like, if you are in a depression or you are stressed and you go out, it's a kind of fun and you forget all your stress for an hour or two.

"Last week I was feeling stressed but then I just went for a cycle and I felt left less stressed. I was completely feeling happy in myself - it was amazing." 

Bahar Mirzapur, has been in Scotland for three years, arriving from Iran just before the covid restrictions. The timing meant she and her family were more isolated than they would otherwise have been but joining GAU has similarly been a huge help to her.  

She said: "It's been good for my psychology, for exercise, for friendship, for meeting other women. 

"I learned to cycle as a little girl in Iran but I haven't done it since I was young.

"It is very fun. For the exercise, it is very good. It is very good for the mind.

"The first time I rode my bicycle in Glasgow I was shaking but others joined me as support for the bicycle class and now I feel good."

This is grassroots cycling at its finest but Glasgow is also on the six week countdown until the world's most famous cyclists compete at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

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Hosts Glasgow Life are now marking a new partnership with Landsec, the owner of Buchanan Galleries, which has donated £50,000 to its Go Cycle Glasgow Fund.

The Go Cycle Glasgow Fund was created by Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council to help locals take up or return to cycling, and so far 29 organisations have benefited from £160,000 of funding, including GAU's Women’s Empowerment Project.

Providing specific services for more than 300 women across Scotland, it has been instrumental in changing the lives of local women in the north of Glasgow by offering a safe space to learn and connect. 

GAU is a member organisation of Maryhill and Summerston Community Sport Hub supported by Glasgow Life. 

Based at the Sport Hub, and with initial funding from Glasgow Mental Health and Well-being Fund, the organisation developed a Multi-Sport Activity and Leadership Programme, which included cycling. 

Such was the success of the pilot cycling programme to teach beginners how to cycle safely, that they applied to the Go Cycle Glasgow Fund to enable them to expand and develop the programme further into an ongoing cycling club to meet the growing interest and demand. 

Already, the funding for additional bikes and safety equipment is making an impact, ensuring more women get the opportunity to learn to ride and develop their skills. 

The programme has also been expanded to include children and young people, so families can cycle together while cycle leader and bike maintenance training has been added.

Kate Drummond, Women’s Empowerment Programme, Health & Wellbeing Coordinator said: "Some of the younger women have lived under the Taliban since they returned to power and learning to cycle is something they could never have done.

"For them, it's about more than health, it's about freedom.

“The cycling programme helps to build skills, overcome barriers to taking part in physical activity. 

"It helps support women with integration, tackles social isolation and reminds women they are not alone and can take control of their futures, and build greater equality for women and girls."