Active Travel and Play South West
AT play SW is a regional programme with an initial demonstration focus in Bournemouth and Poole, working to ensure and enable active and independent access to play.
The programme aims to increase levels of physical activity in children and their families in demonstration areas as well as tying together play and travel strategies, embedding active play and travel outcomes for children, young people and their families in both.
A three strand approach has been developed to coordinate and implement environmental and motivational interventions which will influence travel behaviour and active outdoor play:
- Strategic tie-in: encouraging and supporting development of transport, planning and spatial strategies that take a fuller consideration of children and young people's play and access needs, beyond just the school journey
- Changes to built environment: Developing traffic-free walking and cycle routes as both ‘routes to play' and play spaces themselves, using initiatives such as Art and the Travelling Landscape, providing secure cycle parking to Children's Centres and supporting infrastructure development
- Behavioural interventions: Providing a Bike It officer to work with primary schools to increase levels of cycling, setting up focus groups and providing local information such as promotional materials and local walking and cycling maps.
Working with Boscombe Children's Centre we have produced a map which encourages children and families to walk, cycle and play actively in and around Boscombe. Download the Boscombe map (pdf).
For further information please contact play@sustrans.org.uk
AT play SW is supported by and working in partnership with the South West Regional Public Health Group.