Bicycle

A mother of five recently fled high-risk domestic and family violence, relocating far from everything and everyone she knows. She arrived with almost nothing — her possessions, and the children's, left behind.

She is now in a refuge in an unfamiliar area, without a car and without a licence. Getting anywhere — the shops, appointments, her youngest's daycare — currently means long walks with small children, or taxi fares that quickly become unsustainable. Refuge staff help where they can, but she wants to be able to move through her days on her own terms.

She hasn't ridden a bike in years, but she is willing to give it a go. Her four-year-old is already excited about coming along in a trailer. Cycling would mean the daycare drop-off, the grocery shop, fresh air, and some independence after a period in which so much has been taken from her. It would help her family begin to settle into this new life with a little more ease.