Plymouth City Council has been awarded £80,000 by the Department for Transport to progress plans to encourage more people to take up walking and cycling for their health and wellbeing.
The funding will be used for a feasibility study into ‘socially prescribed’ walking and cycling, where health providers, link workers and community groups work together to help people meet their personal activity needs and goals.
Link workers within GP practices and health and wellbeing hubs connect with local community groups and services to provide safe, supportive, off-road walking and cycling activities, for example in parks, including Central Park.
The council’s transport and public health teams will be working with partners across the city over the next few months to put together a proposal that will aim to get more people walking and cycling – and enjoying the health and wellbeing benefits they bring.
If successful, Plymouth will receive funding for a three-year pilot programme that will help more people to access support such as adult cycle training, led rides, led walks and complementary programmes like bike maintenance courses and workshops. The funding for the feasibility programme follows two competitive bidding rounds, with Plymouth being one of the highest scoring councils in the last round.
Cycling and Walking Minister Trudy Harrison said:
“This funding will allow us to explore whether GPs could prescribe active travel to treat a variety of conditions and I’m very pleased that Plymouth City Council is interested in this valuable and fascinating research.”
