Modeshift Month Awards

In a joint effort to tackle air pollution and ease traffic congestion, local councils and bus operators offered staff who currently drive the chance to claim free bus travel to work throughout September. Staff were also encouraged to take part in a Stride and Ride Autumn Challenge, which ran for four weeks throughout September and October. 60 people completed the Stride and Ride Autum challenge, with 22 staff changing their journey and catching the bus.

184 children and approximately 14 members of staff took part in a huge range of activities thoughout Mode Shift Month. The month kicked off with a newsletter article and social media posts promoting the campaign, with parking booklets being sent home as reminders to parents to park responsibly. Whole school assemblies spread the message of active travel, with lessons covering the importance of walking, cycling, and wheeling, with pledges being written by pupils. A scavanger hunt was organised for the lower school, and a ‘walk to school day’ for World Car Free day saw the PE Council, Headteacher, Deputy Head and the school dog, Martha, line the street to school.

Four events were delivered across a range of settings in Darlington, including the local college and businesses, to promote Mode Shift Month. Bus, train, and active travel were promoted throughout the month, and a walking challenge was also delivered to Darlington Borough Council employees. Approximately 60 individuals were involved in the four events, and 18 teams took part in the council walking challenge.

A series of weekly Mode Shift Month blogs were posted on the council’s Departmental Place Hub intranet to encourage staff to make a mode shift as part of their journey to work or other utility trip. An online pledge form was also created, along with a gallery so employees could submit photos of their journey. A huge number of activities were promoted covering a range of transport modes, including ‘A celebration of cycling’, ‘The wonder of walking and wheeling’, ‘Ticket to ride’, and ‘Go Combustion Engine Free’ which focused on car sharing, low emission vehicles, walking, cycling, and public transport for World Car Free Day.

A wide range of activities were on offer for staff at Luton Airport throughout Mode Shift Month including Dr Bike sessions, try the train events, bus journey planning sessions, seasonal travel discounts, and electric cycle try-outs. Over 3,500 people took part in the activities across the month.

Luton Point hosted a dynamic event in celebration of Mode Shift Month that included several local bus companies who hosted interactive stalls, a representative from Thameslink Railway promoting the benefits of rail travel, and Cycling UK, who set up a branded gazebo to champion cycling and E-Bikes. As part of their initiative, they offered an exclusive promotion allowing individuals to trial an E-Bike free of charge for an entire month. Doctor Bike provided complimentary bicycle servicing and replacement parts for attendees who cycled to the event. Approximately 1,100 people actively took part or changed their journey.

In partnership with Halfords, the Travel Choices team organised a free Dr Bike session for all Snowhill residents. The event offered free basic cycle checks, maintenance advice, and bike security tagging. The Wakefield District Cycle Forum also attended, providing information and guidance on local cycling opportunities. In addition, the Travel Choices team were available to discuss cycling in the area and distributed the bespoke Snowhill Cycling Guide. All 16 bookable spaces were booked up and attended. Three other residents on top of this brought their own bikes.

As part of Mode Shift Month, this school championed active travel with a series of initiatives designed to inspire pupils and families to make healthier and greener journey choices. This included a Cycle September Challenge, Weekly Lucky Lock, parking pledges, Bikeability for Year 6, a scooter smart workshop, an Autumn Travel Trail for World Car Free Day, an art challenge where pupils were encouraged to share a painting or drawing of their favourite place for a bike ride, as well as a whole school assembly to spread the message. Every child at the school took part in Mode Shift Month; 240 pupils, alongside their families.