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What is Active Travel?
Active travel means making journeys by walking, cycling or scooting. These are usually short journeys, like walking to the shops, walking the kids to school, cycling to work, or cycling to the station to catch a commuter train for example. Active Travel is where you swap motorised transport for active methods instead.
What are the benefits?
Many people don’t realise that physical activity has significant benefits for health, both physical and mental, and can help to prevent and manage over 20 chronic conditions and diseases, including some cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression.
Physical activity is associated with many improvements in health and wellbeing, including lower death rates, and lower risk of heart problems and depression. It benefits people of all ages, ranging from helping children maintain a healthy weight to reducing conditions such as hip fractures in frail older people. As the former chief medical officer noted: “The potential benefits of physical activity to health are huge. If a medication existed which had a similar effect, it would be regarded as a ‘wonder drug’ or ‘miracle cure’.
Our Partners
Living Streets
Living Streets work within the Blackpool borough to focus on increasing walking rates through interventions.
They have Walk to School projects and Walk to Work projects. The walk to school project for primary schools is called WOW, a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. If they travel sustainably e.g. walk, cycle or scoot once a week for a month, they get rewarded with a badge. Each month has a different badge to collect. For post primary settings they offer Next Steps, targeted at transition students to build their confidence and independence.
Walking works is the Living Streets programme for embedding a culture of walking into workplaces. The programme starts with a consultation to find out the unique needs of an organisation and from there, their expert staff advise on a range of suitable initiatives to increase walking rates amongst your staff.
For more information visit the Living Streets website
Cycling UK
Cycling UK focus on increasing cycling rates through interventions. They focus on both The Bike Revival and Community cycling clubs. The Big Bike Revival programme is for people returning to cycling, or those starting as a complete beginner. The Big Bike Revival is a series of free local events, which are hosted by local organisations. Events vary but people may be able to get their bikes checked and fixed, learn how to fix bikes, learn how to ride a bike, or go on a led group bike ride – all for free. For any information about these events delivered through Active Blackpool, please don’t hesitate to contact Nathan.sayers@blackpool.gov.uk
Community Cycle Clubs are at the heart of our programme to bring about sustained change and to encourage more people to cycle. A Community Cycle Club is a group of people who come together to do cycling for whatever purpose they choose. The programme connects individuals to their community to build social networks, feel well and enjoy being active by cycling. The aim could be to reduce isolation, improve health and wellbeing, develop skills and education, or just have fun.
For more information visit the Cycling UK website
Love To Ride
Love to ride is an online cycling encouragement platform all about helping more people ride bikes. We believe that when more people swap cars for handlebars, our world will become a cleaner, greener and happier place to be. Log rides, set goals, earn badges, access educational content, connect with other riders, and find support to ride more. Throughout the year, you can also take part in challenges and win big prizes just for heading out for a ride!
To join Love to Ride, it doesn't matter if you ride every day or if you haven't been on a bike in years. Love to Ride has lots of resources to help people ride out with confidence, including a range of Tips articles and Quick Courses. Sign up with an individual account, add in your workplace and join the movement.
To sign up for free now, visit the Love To Ride website
Cycling Maps and Routes in Blackpool
North Blackpool British Cycling map
South Blackpool British Cycling map
Upcoming Events
Big Bike Revival- Fix Events and Learn to Ride Events soon TBC.
For any more information on Active Travel please don’t hesitate to contact us by email at- nathan.sayers@blackpool.gov.uk
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