48 organisations across West Yorkshire receive grants to empower communities to choose active travel
To help people walk and cycle more, in the past year, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has awarded almost £200,000 of funding to 48 community-based organisations.
13 May 2022
48 organisations across West Yorkshire receive grants to empower communities to choose active travel
To help people walk and cycle more, in the past year, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has awarded almost £200,000 of funding to 48 community-based organisations.
These community grants, funded through the Department for Transport’s Capability Fund, were available for any scheme or project aimed at helping and encouraging people to incorporate more walking, scooting, running or cycling into their daily lives. Projects have included:
- The translation of the Louisa Fennell walk into 6 languages, opening up the history of Wakefield to new communities, led by Dream Time Creative
- Led walks for elderly members of the community who suffer from mobility issues, led by the Senior Citizens Support Group
- Improvements to the historical Wakefield Gate route between Halifax and Hipperholme, led by the Halifax Civic Trust
The projects aim to improve people’s health and wellbeing, support access to employment and training opportunities, and boost people’s social interactions.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:
“I’m constantly inspired and impressed by our partners in West Yorkshire, who work so hard in their communities to improve lives by empowering people to choose active travel.
“This scheme has enabled us to support our partners to do more, by investing in them. I’m really looking forward to seeing all the different brilliant things these groups can achieve with the funding they’ve deservedly won.”
Cllr Manisha Kaushik, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee Lead Member for Active Travel, said:
“Looking at the projects which have already started delivering has made me very excited to see what else is in store. This grants scheme has enabled the Combined Authority to support communities to turn local knowledge into active travel projects that really work.
“These community grants are a great example of devolution in action – we’re getting national funding to the people who know how it can have the most impact.”
Sarah Cobham, co-founder of Dream Time Creative, said:
“Our iconic Louisa Fennell walk opens the doors to the history of Wakefield through the eyes of our most famous watercolourist from the 19th century. As a City of Sanctuary with a long tradition of welcoming different language speakers to our streets, we are delighted that visitors and residents from across the district will be able to enjoy Louisa's story, and the story of our streets, in their own language.
"Working with Wakefield District City of Sanctuary on a 50-page book, available in digital and print form, we will be training multi-language volunteers to lead the walks so that everyone can be included in this wonderful cultural offering.”
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