Northern Ireland

Ministers secure funding to extend active school travel programme

Chris Hazzard said the school journey was a great way of establishing an active travel habit from an early age
Chris Hazzard said the school journey was a great way of establishing an active travel habit from an early age Chris Hazzard said the school journey was a great way of establishing an active travel habit from an early age

An initiative that looks to increase physical activity in children has secured £2.25 million government funding.

Infrastructure minister Chris Hazzard and health minister Michelle O'Neill announced joint funding to extend the Active School Travel Programme until 2021.

Sustrans has been awarded the contract to deliver the programme for the next five years.

The Active School Travel Programme aims to increase physical activity in children, reduce congestion around schools, improve health and road safety awareness and improve confidence, all of which can contribute to improved health and educational achievement.

The programme began in 2013 and since then 191 schools have enrolled with more than 60,000 children taking part. This has resulted in an increase in cycling and walking for the school commute and a reduction in car congestion around participating schools.

All primary schools have been notified on the continuation of the programme and those schools not part of the programme will be invited to submit applications during August and September.

"The school journey is a great way of establishing an active travel habit from an early age so I am pleased that we, alongside the Public Health Agency have been able to award Sustrans this £2.25million contract," Mr Hazzard said.

"This means that as the name suggests the school run can be exactly that - a run on the bike, the scooter or a walk to school.

"Encouraging young people to get active to and from school fosters healthy habits from an early age. The use of active travel and giving our young people the best start in life - aspirations all included in the Programme for Government – will help lay the foundations for longer, healthier, more active lives."

Ms O'Neill said the programme ensured children were being given the best opportunity to participate in physical activity "which will benefit their health and wellbeing as they develop".

"We want our children to have memories of playing outside, of made-up adventures and games, rather than being indoors playing with technology," she said.

"Working in collaboration on this project will help our children and young people to meet the chief medical officer's physical activity guidelines of being moderately active for at least 60 minutes every day and help us tackle societal problems such as overweight and obesity."

PHA chief executive Dr Eddie Rooney said many children were not getting enough exercise with only 10 per cent girls and 19 per cent of boys aged 8-12 years meeting the recommendation of one hour of physical activity a day.

"The new phase of the Active School Travel programme will build on the existing programme and enable many more children to walk, cycle or scoot to school, helping to improve their health and wellbeing and contribute to their physical, social, emotional and psychological development," he said.