Council allocates £150,000 funding to help West Sussex children walk and cycle to school

West Sussex County Council has allocated £150,000 of funding for a programme that will encourage children to walk, wheel or cycle to and from school.  

The project aims to develop active travel habits among students and pupils, improve their health, wellbeing and mental focus, increase road safety awareness, and improve air quality around schools.   

Whether it's walking to school one day a week, cycling more often or scooting part of the journey, the initiatives will encourage young people and their families in West Sussex to make active travel a regular part of their routine.   

Councillor Erika Woodhurst-Trueman, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at West Sussex County Council, said: "Our communities tell us they want safer and more sustainable options for travelling to school, and this initiative is part of our work to deliver that.   

"Through its engaging activities and practical support, this project will help more families make active travel part of everyday life. Research shows that regularly walking, wheeling and cycling can help children improve their health and wellbeing, arrive at school ready to learn and develop habits that can benefit them throughout their lives.   

"We know schools' resources are finite and that it takes time to develop travel plans and deliver activities that support active travel, so a key element of this project is supporting schools in those processes to ease that burden."   

The programme will be delivered in partnership with active travel specialists the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and Modeshift STARS, and will provide participating schools with training, resources and support on a range of engaging initiatives, such as walk-to-school challenges, bike and scooter reward schemes and 'Bling Your Bike' competitions.    

Schools will also receive expert support to deliver practical activities such as bike skills sessions, cycle maintenance workshops and road safety training. Together, these measures will help children and families overcome some of the barriers that can make walking, wheeling and cycling to school more difficult.    

Increasing the number of journeys to school made by walking, scooting and cycling also supports the council's aims to protect the environment, improve health, and help keep our roads moving by reducing air pollution and traffic congestion.   

The 12-month project is split into two parts. The Walk Wheel Cycle Trust specialist officer is working with 12 pre-selected schools from April 2025 to March 2027. The Modeshift specialist is available to work with any West Sussex school or college that would like to take part, from now until late September 2027.  

It forms part of a wider £1.8 million investment in active travel across the county, funded through Active Travel England's Capability Fund. This funding builds on that already invested by the council in physical active travel infrastructure.   

Schools interested in taking part can contact the county council’s Active Travel team at [email protected].