Blog

With the recent passing of another World Car-free Day, it seems the perfect time to reflect on some of the measures implemented across Calderdale to help reduce vehicle usage and promote active travel (walking, scooting, wheeling and biking). One such measure has been the introduction of Community Streets, which includes projects such as the School Streets initiative.

'We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us' Sir Winston Churchill. 

Twice a year, Dr Alexandra Potts, our evaluation lead from Leeds Beckett University, reports back to Sport England on the learnings, progress, and challenges we have experienced over the previous six months in our bi-annual Process Evaluation Report.

This bi-annual milestone offers a point of reflection and an opportunity to help shape the next six months of Active Calderdale and the direction we take.

At Active Calderdale, we have been working with schools to deliver new ways to build active travel into the lives of pupils, parents and staff. Through our School Streets program, we have found a way to reduce emissions around many of our schools, boost safety, and promote getting active.

School drop-off and pick-up times can be stressful, congested and potentially unsafe, as everyone rushes to find the ideal parking spot right outside the school gates. They are hotspots for damaging emissions, dangerous for children crossing the roads and noisy for the surrounding residents – that’s where School Streets comes in!

In October 2019 the Active Calderdale team ran a number of educational workshops with individuals from different parts of the council to explore what the value is of physical activity in their service and how physical activity can be embedded into what they do. A variety of individuals from different services such as health and social care, social prescribers, and transport and planning attended the workshops.