Funding promotes active travel for two million English children

As reported by Forbes, Active Travel England commits £73 million in funding to encourage walking and cycling among schoolchildren, with initiatives such as Bikeability training and the Big Bike Revival program set to expand

Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said: “Enabling kids to walk, wheel or cycle on the school run is what they want, and what we want for them.

He added: “This funding package will help put the joy back into journeys and create a generation of young people who feel confident to make healthier and greener travel choices.”

The funding package will help make it easier for parents to choose greener travel options, said a statement issued by Active Travel England on September 29.

The two-year funding will include £60 million to expand Bikeability cycle training to a million more young people. This scheme has delivered training to more than four million children since 2007. A further $6 million will support a walk-to-school program aimed at hundreds of thousands of pupils in schools across England via the charity Living Streets.

Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman said: “The government wants children up and down the country to benefit from the freedom as well as the huge mental and physical health benefits of cycling.”

Also included in the Active Travel England package is £4.8 million to extend Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival program to March 2025. This scheme has already engaged over 80,000 people of all ages, helping them learn cycling basics and feel more confident while pedalling.

Meanwhile, an additional £610,000 will fund an extension to the Modeshift STARS and Active Travel Ambassador schemes. The STARS program provides recognition for schools, businesses and organisations who show excellence in supporting and delivering active travel plans in their community.