Healthy Valleys, based in rural South Lanarkshire, has been working with the local community since 2003. As a community-led initiative, there is a focus on building resilience and strength by providing opportunities for local people to improve their health and wellbeing. Alongside the delivery of a weekly programme of Health Walks and Buggy Walks, there is a strong focus on encouraging local people to live and travel actively.
Hazel Pringle is the Active Travel Project Worker for the Healthy Valleys ‘Resilient Communities’ project, based in Douglas. Hazel’s responsibilities and passion lies with encouraging local people to make a conscious effort to leave the car at home and live actively within their own villages by choosing to walk, wheel, cycle, or scoot.
She currently manages a bike loan scheme which includes a range of regular pedal-bicycles and 19 e-bikes. As point-of-contact, she works with a network of Development Officers in nearby communities to promote and encourage active travel. Her work includes delivering presentations, community events and stimulating conversations around living and travelling actively.
Members of the local community have embraced active travel for short, everyday journeys using Healthy Valleys short-term e-bike loans.
A local 85-year-old man, a keen cyclist, enjoys the health and social wellbeing benefits of making local e-bike journeys after a conversation with Hazel inspired him to get involved. The gentleman has enjoyed an increase in physical activity and social wellbeing during his daily journeys. Hazel uses personal reflections and evaluation forms to measure the impact of local active travel initiatives on the community to help with the expansion and continued roll-out of the e-bike scheme (through Energy Savings Trust).
Another local woman and her son also enjoy the e-bike loan scheme, making short local journeys by e-bike to football practice on a Saturday morning and to the local Beavers group at night. Hazel explains that the local woman, motivated by the benefits and ease of power-assisted active travel offers, is actively looking for a job in the village which will allow her to make short, local journeys by bike.
Hazel said,
Working with local community groups across Rural South Lanarkshire has been valuable for the success of the Active Travel project and getting the word out about the active travel solutions we offer. We’ve seen a growing interest in the ebikes and a desire in local people to travel actively.
Those making conscious decisions to cycle more may opt for a regular bike or choose to enjoy the ease of power-assisted mobility – particularly those who may be new to cycling or do not have the strength to maintain a pedal cycle. Hazel explains that some who are new to e-bikes are hesitant about the power-assisted travelling, choosing to rely on physical activity to travel whilst building confidence. However, e-bikes are suitable for all ages and abilities, providing comfort and ease on longer or uphill journeys.
At the end of the hire period, users are given the opportunity and provided help to purchase their own e-bike. For example, Annette Hall McKay, Project Worker with Healthy Valleys, is personally familiar with the hire scheme and the benefits that active travel can provide. Annette and her husband, Alan, previously loaned out the e-bikes before her role with Healthy Valleys. After enjoying the health and wellbeing benefits of cycling, Annette and her husband purchased their own power-assisted bikes to significantly reduce private car use and make short, active everyday journeys from their farm nearby, into their nearest town.
Hazel explains that the success of Healthy Valley’s active travel initiatives will expand into eight-week programmes in due course. This will include community engagement events and e-bike trials with local people to highlight the health, wellbeing, and environmental benefits of active travel.
In 2022/23, our Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund will award £5Million to organisations delivering active and sustainable travel projects in local communities. We welcome applications from public, third and community-sector organisations seeking to encourage local people to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport for everyday local journeys.
For more information about our Open Fund, visit www.pathsforall.org.uk/open-fund or email SCSP@pathsforall.org.uk.