London Marathon Charitable Trust gives £1m to Transport for Greater Manchester
Melanie May | 13 August 2020 | News
The London Marathon Charitable Trust is giving a grant of £1 million to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to support its ambition to get more people active through walking and cycling.
The Trust’s £1 million grant will be used by TfGM towards supporting 10,000 people in up to 60 communities across Greater Manchester to get active and travel sustainably, with a particular emphasis on women, children and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups.
TfGM research has shown that 55% of Greater Manchester residents want to become more physically active and 70% would like to walk or cycle more but don’t feel safe or confident enough to.
The TfGM project aims to:
- Get 10,000 inactive people more active through walking and cycling, via the development of an Active Travel Community Toolkit. The Toolkit, which will include a range of resources, will allow communities to choose a combination of support that will help them travel more actively
- Train up to 60 Community Travel Champions to provide knowledge and a focus for active travel in their communities
- Engage and empower around 60 local communities to identify and make positive changes to active travel facilities in their local areas
The project will run for three years from September 2020 through to September 2023.
Greater Manchester’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said:
“This money will enable us to reach out to thousands more people across Greater Manchester, enabling them to fit walking and cycling into their daily lives and to enjoy the many benefits that go alongside it.
“Alongside temporary infrastructure in response to the coronavirus pandemic, we are building the UK’s largest cycling and walking network. The Bee Network will deliver more than 1,800 miles of routes, linking every area of Greater Manchester. Inspiring people to walk or cycle for everyday journeys is a huge part of the puzzle and we are incredibly grateful to The London Marathon Charitable Trust for supporting us to make this a reality.”Advertisement
Any individuals or community groups who want to be involved in the project should contact su******************@tf**.com.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.