To mark their national award success, Applefields School hosted a celebration morning with special guest David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
Pupils proudly shared their achievements and outlined future plans, including the launch of a new Travel Buddy Passport Scheme which will encourage peer-to-peer support for safe and confident travel.
The pupils enrolled in the Active Travel Ambassadors (ATA) programme also held a discussion with the Mayor, asking about his plans to improve local bus and train travel and offering their own ideas for better public transport and walking, cycling and wheeling infrastructure. They told the Mayor about their Satellite Be Bright Enterprise, which the Mayor pledged to support further during a future visit.
After a morning of presentations and conversations about active and accessible travel, the Ambassadors put their skills into practice by heading outdoors to assess the streets around the school.
Using the Active Travel Inspector resource pack, they identified areas for improvement and shared their suggestions for making local travel safer and more inclusive. Other Ambassadors spent the morning with Bikeability instructors, improving their cycle skills.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
‘It was a privilege to present pupils from Applefields School with Modeshift’s National SEND School of the Year Award for encouraging walking, wheeling and cycling.
With the right support they have all grown in confidence. Now they can be more independent as they go to school or meet up with friends.
My £4 million fund launches next month to make our streets safer for active travel, and this is exactly the kind of work I want to support across York and North Yorkshire.’
Chris Pryor, Modeshift’s Active Travel Ambassadors Programme Manager, said:
‘Every time I visit Applefields I’m blown away by how invested the staff and pupils are in ATA. Through the great work of Jason (Regional Active Travel Ambassador Coordinator) and Amy with the Satellite Be Bright enterprise and Travel Buddy Passport they have created a legacy that will benefit pupils at Applefields to become more active and independent travellers for years to come’.
