Communities across England will benefit from a diverse range of innovative walking, wheeling and cycling projects, after Active Travel England (ATE) awarded grants through its £1m Innovation Fund.
The 12 successful projects, ranging from e-cargo bike share schemes and community behaviour change programmes, to ‘gamified’ walking campaigns and accessible wheeling apps, will each receive grants of up to £100,000, following a competitive bid process.
The Active Travel Innovation Fund was launched in October last year to enable small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) and non‑governmental organisations (NGOs) to develop new ideas or expand successful initiatives that are already making a difference.
Funded projects will provide more people with healthier and sustainable active travel options, especially those from under-represented groups, supporting the government’s missions to improve public health, create safer streets and cut carbon emissions.
National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said:
“These projects are about testing fresh ideas in the real world and finding out what works.
“By backing smaller, innovative organisations across the country, we are tapping into more imaginations, reaching people in the heart of the community and building a strong evidence base that will further improve everyday journeys for people who walk, wheel and cycle now and in the future.
“The lessons we learn will help councils, businesses and communities invest in approaches that are inclusive, practical and deliver tangible benefits. It’s about making it easier for more people to choose active travel for everyday trips, whatever their age, ability or background.”
The winning projects include Walk Ride Greater Manchester, which will support the set‑up, coordination and scaling of walking and bike buses, helping hundreds of primary school children travel to school in a fun and active way.
Go Jauntly is an award‑winning UK walking app that will use the funding to run a gamified city‑versus‑city campaign to increase walking and wheeling among women and families in Birmingham and Liverpool.
PedalUK will set up, deliver and evaluate a five‑cycle ‘Our Bike’ community‑led e‑cargo bike‑sharing pilot in Brighton & Hove.
Other funded projects include Mobility Mapper, a Bristol‑based intervention that will develop a digital mapping platform, accessed via an app, aimed at enabling wheelers to travel more safely and confidently.
(Picture: Yay Images)
