The Modeshift Active Travel Ambassadors (ATA) programme empowers young people across England to design and deliver campaigns that make walking, wheeling and cycling to school safer, easier and more attractive.
Bringing you the Campaign Junction highlights
A key feature of the programme is the Campaign Junctions – Dragon’s Den-style regional events where students pitch ideas to expert panels and secure funding to bring their campaigns to life.
This academic year (25/26), 21 Campaign Junctions brought together schools, local authorities and transport experts from across England to support student-led behaviour change in school travel.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended as a panel expert, giving valuable words of encouragement and advice to the Ambassadors. This included Local Authorities, Active Travel England, Bikeability Trust, Living Streets, Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and a range of local organisations.
-
- Cutliffe Academy
-
- Hinde House
-
- Parkwood Academy
-
- Cleeve school
-
- Carmel College
-
- Houghton Academy
-
- Bradley Stoke
-
- Cardinal Hulme
-
- Lord Lawson Academy
-
- Whickham School
-
- Bristol Free School
-
- Oasis Academy Temple Quarter
-
- Cramlington Learning Village
-
- Seaton Middle School
-
- Whytrig Middle School
-
- Isle of White
East of England
Events across Ipswich, Norwich and Chelmsford featured match-funding, quizzes, Bikeability ‘virtual’ training demonstrations and prize-based engagement.
The region showcased strong creativity and ambition, with campaigns including:
- Instant prize giveaways and ‘Spin-the-wheel’ prize draws for active travellers
- Golden Rock pedestrian treasure hunts to go with the ever popular Golden Lock initiative
- Bling Your Bike competitions
The winning campaigns were:
- Norfolk: Bungay High School (A Suffolk school that went to Norfolk CJ as it was closer for school to get to)
- Suffolk: King Edward VI School, Bury St Edmunds
- Essex: St Helena School
Midlands
Birmingham hosted the largest event with 10 schools and 128 attendees, including Active Travel and Road Safety Commissioners. The day also featured a session with games and focus on air quality issues.
Campaigns focused on reward schemes, whole-school engagement and long-term behaviour change. Additional funding for standout ideas was awarded to:
- Whittington Green School – at the start of their ATA journey
- King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls – a well established ATA group
Two students were later invited to open a regional Vision Zero conference.
North East
Launched in September, the first round of Campaign Junctions in the North East hosted 18 schools across Darlington, Gateshead, Northumberland and Newcastle.
The programme included strong SEND inclusion and partnerships with organisations such as Recyke Y Bike and NECA.
Campaigns focused on cycling, walking and independent travel. One pupil reflected:
‘I felt like a world leader.’
The winning campaigns were:
- Gateshead – Cardinal Hume Catholic School
- Northumberland – Barndale By The Sea
- Newcastle – Sir Charles Parsons School
- Darlington – Haughton Academy
North Yorkshire, East Riding and York
Events took place at West Offices, York, including a presentation by York Independent Living and Transport Skills, and at Beverley County Hall hosted by Dave from Histrionics.
The winning campaigns were:
- Bridlington School: after-school cycle club and Learn to Ride programme
- Holderness Academy: SEND-inclusive independent travel and safer crossings work
- Huntington School: Stride Squad.
- Selby High School: improving cycle and scooter storage plus a Golden Lock competition
Northern Rail and TransPennine Express supported travel training and engagement.
South East
The Isle of Wight held its first ever event, along with Southampton, Surrey and Hampshire.
The most impressive pitches were from:
- Toynbee School – a full programme of cycling initiatives
- St George’s Catholic School – Active Travel Bingo
- Merstham Park School – a multi-layered behaviour change programme including staff participation.
- Medina College – a cycling passport and golden ticket campaign
South West England
Events took place in two Council Buildings, ARUP offices in Bristol and Warmley Park (a Special Educational Needs School) where students presented highly creative campaigns with mascots, slogans and strong messaging including:
- Walk 2 Win
- Reduce the Red
- Step Streak
- Strap On Your Helmet and Pedal to the Prize
- Don’t Make Us Cough – Turn Your Engine Off!’
High School Leckhampton, John Cabot Academy and Oasis Academy Temple Quarter were chosen to receive bonus funding.
ARUP also showcased careers in engineering and transport planning.
West and South Yorkshire
Students presented creative campaigns at events in Sheffield and Leeds and ideas included reward schemes, media projects and year-round travel initiatives.
Winning pitches were from:
- Broomfield South SILC Post 16
- Temple Moor High School
- Hinde House School
- Parkwood E-ACT Academy
After confidently pitching their ideas, Ambassadors had the opportunity to network through games like ‘Guess What I Am’.
Impact of Campaign Junctions
Campaign Junctions are a core part of the ATA programme, turning student ideas into real behaviour change.
Across 2024/25 the programme helped:
- Increase walking, wheeling and cycling in schools
- Reduce car use for school journeys
- Empower thousands of young people as travel leaders
- Deliver hundreds of school-led campaigns across England
Why Campaign Junctions matter
Campaign Junctions demonstrate the power of student-led behaviour change.
They:
- Build confidence and leadership skills
- Encourage creativity and innovation
- Improve school travel choices
- Reduce car dependency
- Support healthier, safer journeys.
Find out more
Learn more about the Active Travel Ambassadors programme and how to get involved.
