Over 200 transport, sustainability and behaviour change professionals from across the UK came together this week for our National STARS Summit and National STARS Travel Awards, a day dedicated to sharing best practice and celebrating organisations improving everyday journeys through effective Travel Plans.
We brought together leaders from government, academia, local authorities, education, healthcare and business to explore how optimising Travel Plans can support healthier, more sustainable travel choices.
The event concluded with the National STARS Travel Awards, recognising outstanding achievements from organisations delivering accredited Travel Plans through the Modeshift STARS programme.
Celebrating National STARS Award Winners
Lilian Greenwood MP joined us to celebrate the incredible achievements across Education, Business, Healthcare, and Residential travel planning, along with Daisy Cooper MP, Rachel Hopkins MP, Jess Phillips MP, Graham Stuart MP, Claire Young MP and Shockat Adam MP.
Award winners included organisations from the education, business, healthcare and residential sectors, alongside the Mode Shift Month Awards, celebrating creative and impactful travel initiatives.
Insights and collaboration
Throughout the day, expert speakers shared insights on topics including:
- Measuring the carbon impact of school travel
- Aligning transport planning under devolution
- Using data and tools to enhance Travel Plan delivery
- The role of School Climate Action Plans in supporting travel behaviour change
- Monitoring and evaluating travel data in healthcare settings
Sessions also explored practical examples of best practice across STARS Education, Business, Residential, and Healthcare, highlighting the innovative work being delivered by organisations across the network.
Modeshift’s Chief Operating Officer, Nick Butler, reflected on the significance of the event:
‘The National STARS Summit is an opportunity to bring together the people delivering real change in how we travel every day. The success we’re seeing across the STARS programme demonstrates the power of collaboration between schools, workplaces, healthcare organisations, and local authorities. Together, we’re helping create healthier communities through better Travel Plans.’
Growing Impact of the STARS Programme
The Summit also highlighted the findings of the latest Modeshift STARS Annual Report, which demonstrates the growing scale and impact of the programme.
Key findings from the 2024/25 report include:
- Since 2008, 8,733 Modeshift STARS accreditations have been awarded across STARS Education, Business, Residential and Healthcare.
- Schools delivered 14,166 initiatives involving more than 2.5 million participants.
- The programme resulted in 978,796 additional active travel stages and 2,579,833 fewer car trips on the school run each year.
The Active Travel Ambassadors programme, funded by Active Travel England since 2022, is also continuing to expand, with 30% more schools participating in 2024/25 and 67% more young people engaged as ambassadors.
Looking ahead
The National STARS Summit once again demonstrated the strength of the #TeamModeshift community, with organisations across sectors working together to deliver measurable improvements in everyday travel.
A big #TeamModeshift thank you to all speakers, partners and attendees who contributed to the event. And huge congratulations to this year’s National STARS Travel Awards Winners!
Special thanks
Photography: Akoz Media Services
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