£30k funding to encourage Preston residents to become more active

Preston residents enjoying the new Active Travel programme

Preston City Council have been given £30,000 to encourage residents to become more active through cycling, wheeling and walking.

They received funding from Lancashire County Council to improve the city’s facilities.

It is part of the Active Travel programme which encourages underrepresented groups to take part.

Councillor Zafar Coupland, Preston City Council Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “This is a wonderful initiative encouraging Preston residents to make the most of the incredible spaces we have on our doorstep. Not only, will this programme encourage people to become more active, but it will also give residents the opportunity to discover places they may not have been to before.”

The programme involves three projects and four delivery partners.

Supporting cycle commuting will be delivered by Preston Pedals, a community organisation that promotes everyday cycling in Preston.

Dr Julie Ridley, co-director of the organisation said: “We’re looking forward to working with volunteer Ride Buddies who will be trained as ride leaders, and we’ll support them to buddy others to cycle more.

“Together we’ll create commuting routes for everyday cycling on quieter and off road in different parts of Preston, test them out, then turn these user-friendly routes into digital and paper maps for more people to use.”

Accessible cycling events will be delivered by Wheels for All, which currently has a Hub at UCLan Sports Arena and provides inclusive cycling sessions for all children and adults with disabilities.

Widening Participation in Walking will be delivered by Preston Muslim Forum and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Trust will support staff, patients and carers to get out for regular walks around Preston, Chorley and South Ribble Hospitals by providing training to walking leaders.

Neil Pease, Chief People Officer at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, said: “We are delighted to have been successful in our bid for funding from Lancashire County Council’s Active Travel Scheme. Our colleagues told us that they would like to increase the amount of physical activity they do at work – and our new walking scheme will be the perfect way to do this.

“As part of the new walking scheme, we will develop a network of trained walk leaders who will help our colleagues to participate in a planned programme of regular walking activities. Our walk leaders will be organising and leading short, pre-planned lunchtime walks around local routes, which will help our colleagues to build their confidence and enjoy the many benefits of exercise as part of their daily lives.”

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