Southampton City Council welcomed students from six secondary schools to the first Modeshift Active Travel Ambassador event on a Friday, which unfortunately did not specify the month, but it was a highly anticipated occasion. The event was opened by Southampton-born Team GB Paralympic gold medallist, Aaron Phipps MBE, who praised the students for being role models. Aaron Phipps MBE, Southampton-born Paralympic gold medallist, opened the event and shared his story with the students. He talked about overcoming adversity and showing incredible resilience. Aaron won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in wheelchair rugby and is an inspiration to many. He said: “It was a pleasure to meet so many enthusiastic children from Southampton schools and hearing their really innovative ideas for active travel campaigns. I fully applaud and respect their efforts to get their school community out of cars and walking and wheeling to their school. It was great to hear that my speech at the event about what I have achieved in my life really inspired them to double their efforts and make their active travel campaigns a success. I wish them all the very best of luck.”
Modeshift Active has been supporting schools in developing behaviour change campaigns, focusing on active travel and road safety. The Active Travel Ambassador (ATA) programme gives young people aged 11 upwards the confidence and skills to tackle the transport issues affecting their school.
How the Programme Works
- Modeshift’s ATA coordinator and Southampton City Council’s and Hampshire County Council’s school travel team officers provide support to schools to help them research and develop behaviour change campaigns.
- Schools present their campaigns to a panel of experts to secure funding to deliver their campaigns.
- The panel reviews the campaigns and decides which schools will receive funding.
- Every school will receive £200 from Modeshift to deliver their campaigns.
The panel decided to award every school with £200 to deliver their campaigns. However, one school stood out from the rest, and received an additional £50 in funding. St George Catholic College was the school that impressed the panel with their ideas of creating active travel ‘bingo’ cards to motivate students to be more active throughout the day.
The Success of St George Catholic College
- The school’s ‘bingo’ cards were designed to encourage students to be more active throughout the day, and they were found to be very effective.
- The cards were given out to students during lessons, and they were used to track their progress and motivation.
- The school’s campaign was praised by the panel for its creativity and effectiveness in getting students to be more active.
Aaron Phipps MBE praised the school’s efforts, saying: “It was great to hear that my speech at the event really inspired the students to double their efforts and make their active travel campaigns a success. I wish them all the very best of luck.”
The Active Travel Ambassador programme aims to promote active travel and road safety among young people. It provides them with the confidence and skills to take control of their transport options and make informed decisions about how they get to school.
The Importance of Active Travel
“Active travel is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It’s not just about getting to school safely, it’s about setting a good example for others and promoting a culture of activity and well-being.”
Active travel is essential for the health and wellbeing of young people. Regular physical activity can help prevent a range of health problems, including obesity and heart disease. It can also improve mental health and wellbeing, and boost self-esteem and confidence.
Conclusion
The Active Travel Ambassador programme is a great example of how schools and local authorities can work together to promote active travel and road safety among young people. The programme’s success is a testament to the power of innovative thinking and creativity. As Aaron Phipps MBE said, “I wish them all the very best of luck.” The programme’s impact will be felt for years to come, and it will continue to inspire young people to take control of their transport options and make informed decisions about how they get to school.
