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Ukrainian refugee who had bikes stolen thankful for new gift
- By Miriam Earp
- BBC News, Cambridgeshire
Image source, Andrew Maclaren
Illia and Rachael, with the Herald 125 the teenager has been gifted
A Ukrainian teenager who has had two pedal bikes stolen since arriving in the UK has been gifted a more secure motorbike to help him get to school.
Illia, 17, from Vinnytsia, was having to cycle from Godmanchester to Huntingdon bus station in order to get a bus into Cambridge.
Rachael, from Southoe, decided to donate her beloved first motorbike to him after seeing a Facebook appeal.
The teenager said the gift left him “emotional” and he has booked a test.
“I was shocked, I don’t know how to explain it,” said Illia.
“I was just very emotional.”
Rachael used to use her Herald 125, which she named Oopma Loompa because of its bright orange colour, to commute, but it had been stored in a garage following a repair.
She saw a post on a local Facebook group by Andrew Maclaren asking for a scooter to be donated to a Ukrainian refugee and got in touch.
“My bike, although I loved it and cared for it and it was happy in the garage, […] goes to much better use helping someone get to and from their place of education,” said Rachael.
Mr Maclaren, from Buckden, told the BBC he had been helping refugees from Ukraine since the start of the war.
He has created a hub to help families find homes and essential items, as well as sending aid to their relatives on the front line.
He runs a canoe hire business in Godmanchester, through which he first met Illia and his family at an event.
Image source, Andrew Maclaren
Sue Hurley, manager of Sportsbikeshop in Milton Keynes, donated a full protective kit for Illia
Knowing Illia had two pedal bikes stolen in just a matter of months, he posted a plea on Facebook looking for a way for him to travel directly to school.
The teenager was “speechless” when he received the motorbike, said Rachael.
Illia said he was looking forward to riding to college and it would make his journey significantly easier.
As a condition for the gift, Rachael insisted he must wear full protective kit – and managed to get a donation of safety gear from a Milton Keynes shop.
“I’m happy that he’s going to get to and from college, but also he’s going to do it safely,” said Rachael.
Illia said he used to ride a scooter in Ukraine and had booked his test for later this month.
He has also been made an honorary member of the Oakley Motorbike Club in Bedfordshire.
