The most recent data shows stark levels of inactivity in one of the poorest areas in the country but the West Midlands is fighting back
“Being in nature and among the trees, getting some nice air and oxygen and exercise, that’s what clears the mind,” says Kelvin Gilkes, the human dynamo behind the Pendeford Community Bike Hub.
A place where he fixes old and abandoned bicycles and helps people ride them, Kelvin also hopes his hub can expand horizons. “I’ve got one lady who has ADHD and she’s a big woman,” he says. “When she comes back from a ride, she’s so tired, she’s like: ‘Oh, my legs hurt.’ But she also says: ‘Oh, I slept really good.’ I know it’s difficult for people to come from a stressful world and just do something calm and peaceful. But I tell her it ain’t gonna hurt that bad if you keep going and going.”
Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-gray-hoodie-lying-on-brown-leather-couch-4114908/
