Recently, the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority announced the projects that will receive a share of £1 million from the Mayor’s Active Travel Fund. This investment is set to improve walking and cycling routes, provide secure bike storage, and deliver training to boost confidence across communities.
From an education perspective, this is a hugely positive development.
As Niall O’Brien, Education Lead, explains:
“We are delighted that 24 individual school communities will be positively affected by the Mayor’s Active Travel Fund. There are so many exciting projects ready to go, and we look forward to providing any necessary support. It is especially rewarding to see the influence of our past and current work shaping the quality of these projects. They will undoubtedly benefit schools and local communities well beyond the 18-month delivery period.”
Building on Strong Foundations
A key influence behind many of these projects is the North Yorkshire Sport Active Travel Toolkit. This resource has been carefully designed to support schools in increasing physical activity while also addressing health inequalities and improving equity of access.
What makes the toolkit particularly powerful is its co-design approach. Developed alongside Yorkshire Causeway Trust school leaders, it reflects real-world experiences and draws on rich learning from several major programmes:
Whole School Physical Activity Approaches (WSPA)
The toolkit is grounded in a strong commitment to Whole School Physical Activity Approaches. Through the Creating Active Schools network, proven design principles from successful initiatives have been adapted to create meaningful opportunities for both schools and their wider communities.
Its structure is rooted in behaviour change theory, focusing on building the capability and motivation of staff and volunteers. It also offers evidence-informed examples and decision-making frameworks, allowing schools to evaluate what works best in their context and implement sustainable solutions.
Opening School Facilities Programme (OSF)
Learning from the OSF programme has been invaluable. It has provided a deep understanding of the barriers schools face when opening facilities for community use.
By working with both pioneering schools and those still developing readiness, insights have been gathered on what enables success, and what can hold it back. This learning has helped shape a more realistic, flexible approach that supports schools at different stages of their journey.
Positive Experiences Collective – Patchwork Programme
Funded by the National Lottery and Sport England. Our Patchwork Programme team ‘Schools as Influencers in the Community’ were selected for the creative accelerator programme, during the 9-month period we have had the privilege of knowledge sharing across the sector and working on co-designing solutions. The patchwork programme has helped us to think deeper around an individual’s personal relationship, needs and circumstances in our places of interest. This has directly fed into our toolkit design in attempt to consider how we support a wide range of diverse communities in North Yorkshire.
Addressing Inequality Through Active Travel
The timing of this investment is critical.
Recent findings from the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey highlight a significant gap in activity levels:
- Only 40% of children and young people with two or more inequalities are sufficiently active
- Compared to 54% of those with no identified inequalities
Key barriers include:
- Cost
- Lack of safe spaces
- Low confidence
- Limited inclusive opportunities
The Mayor’s Active Travel Fund projects are actively working to tackle these challenges.
What Will Change on the Ground?
Many funded projects are located in areas facing identified disadvantages and are designed to remove barriers to participation. Examples of planned interventions include:
- Community bike libraries offering accessible bike loans
- Repair and maintenance workshops to build skills and confidence
- Staff training programmes such as “balance to pedal”
- Volunteer development, including ride leaders and after-school facilitators
- Parent advocates supporting delivery and extending school capacity
- Targeted ‘learn to ride’ initiatives
- Maintenance courses for children and young people with SEND, low attendance, or at risk of exclusion
- Multi-school Active Travel Hubs serving entire communities
These initiatives go far beyond infrastructure, they build confidence, skills, and community ownership.
Looking Ahead: A System-Wide Opportunity
This work also connects to wider national developments. Conversations are ongoing about a reimagined PE and School Sport Partnership structure, alongside the introduction of a new national enrichment framework for schools.
With sport, physical activity, and outdoor learning set to become key expectations, active travel has a vital role to play.
Creating the conditions for children and young people to walk, wheel, or cycle to school regularly can embed physical activity into daily life, not as an optional extra, but as a normal, sustainable habit.
A Lasting Legacy
The Mayor’s Active Travel Fund represents more than a short-term investment. It is an opportunity to build lasting change,supporting schools to become hubs of health, activity and community connection.
By combining strong partnerships, evidence-based approaches, and a deep understanding of local contexts, North Yorkshire is well positioned to ensure these projects deliver impact far beyond their initial timeframe.
The ambition is clear: to create environments where every child has the opportunity, confidence, and support to be active every day starting with the journey to school.
