Healthy Valleys active travel project launch

Healthy Valleys has officially launched its active travel initiative and is keen to spread the word in Clydesdale.
Healthy Valleys active travel project launch was finally held at Douglas St Brides and the team are now keen to spread the word.Healthy Valleys active travel project launch was finally held at Douglas St Brides and the team are now keen to spread the word.
Healthy Valleys active travel project launch was finally held at Douglas St Brides and the team are now keen to spread the word.

The event was originally scheduled to take place in Lanark on February 25 but foul weather put paid to that.

However, nothing was going to stop the rearranged launch on Monday, April 25, at Douglas St Brides – even team leader Amanda Taylor going down with Covid!

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Luckily Hazel Pringle, who is taking the lead on the Healthy Valleys Active Travel Project, was on hand to welcome local councillors, MSP Mairi McAllan and members of the public.

Volunteer Daniel Smith with Mairi McAllan as she tests out an e-bike!Volunteer Daniel Smith with Mairi McAllan as she tests out an e-bike!
Volunteer Daniel Smith with Mairi McAllan as she tests out an e-bike!

Now Amanda and Hazel are keen for even more people to learn about the project, which has been funded this year and last by a number of partners including Paths for All Smarter Choices Smarter Places (£47,430), the Energy Savings Trust (£18,272) and the National Lottery Awards for All (£9,897).

That funding enabled the team to purchase 19 e-bikes and 10 bikes, which are now available for community groups to loan for a trial period. The team is also upcycling bikes to donate to people who otherwise might not be able to afford their own wheels.

Amanda said: “Our aim is to encourage people out of their cars and to travel sustainably, for short journeys.

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“Thanks to our main funders, and pockets of funding from South Lanarkshire Council, we now have a large number of bikes that we can loan out to people for a trial period.

“We can offer information sessions, bike maintenance workshops, road safety workshops, e-bike trails and loans for a period of up to four weeks.”

The team has also developed close ties with Thornton Road Community Centre in Kirkmuirhill, where some of the bikes are stored for loans in that area.

Amanda added: “We’d love to develop this hub and spoke model in other communities across Clydesdale too.”

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Clydesdale MSP Mairi McAllan is delighted the project has been extended for another year.

She said: “It’s an exciting opportunity to increase awareness and interest in sustainable and active travel within our communities and to build on the need to reduce our own carbon emissions.”

To find out more about the project, visit https://healthyvalleys.org.uk.