Special introduction from Olympian Alistair Brownlee at Leeds Active Travel Ambassador event
What is the Active Travel Ambassador (ATA) Program?
The Active Travel Ambassador (ATA) programme provides young people aged 11 to 16 with the confidence and skills to address transport issues affecting their school community. With support from an ATA Coordinator and school staff, ATA teams research and develop behaviour change campaigns, focusing on active travel and road safety. Students will develop skills in a variety of areas:
- project management
- presenting and public speaking
- leadership
- collecting and analysing data
- marketing and promotion
It is a behaviour change program funded by Active Travel England and aims to increase safe and responsible travel and use of active and sustainable mode of transport in secondary schools.
The Campaign Junction event
The Campaign Junction event is a part of the Active Travel Ambassador’s Program. The event was made extra special by a special introduction from Alistair Brownlee Two-time Olympic triathlon gold medallist and his passion for active travel.
At the event each school pitches their ideas for a campaign to improve travel by promoting active, sustainable and safe travel at their school to a panel of industry experts in order to secure £200-250 to fund their campaign.
The ATAs gain valuable experience in running a campaign, honing their presentation skills, and receiving insightful feedback from experts. It also gives schools a platform to voice their concerns and solutions to their local authority, exchanging ideas with other schools and fostering meaningful connections with peers.
The Campaign Junction was hosted on Monday the 3rd of March 2025 at the Banqueting Suite in Leeds Civic Hall. All schools travelled to the event actively or sustainably; two schools walked, one school took the train, one school caught the bus, and the rest took the opportunity to park and stride. This was made possible thanks to the generous support and partnership from Northern Rail and First Bus, who provided supported travel options to ensure schools could attend the event easily and sustainably. Their contribution helped reduce transport barriers and reinforced the importance of sustainable travel, aligning perfectly with the goals of the ATA program.
All seven schools participating in the ATA Program in Leeds participated. These included Boston Spa Academy, Bruntcliffe Academy, The Farnley Academy, Leeds City Academy, Leeds East Academy, Temple Moor High School and The Ruth Gorse Academy. A total of 67 ATAs presented and were supported by 14 members of staff.
There were five experts on the panel for this event. These included:
- Leanne Farrow – Influencing Travel Behaviour Team Lead at Leeds City Council
- Cllr. Izaal Wilson – Weetwood Ward Councillor (Leeds)
- Richard Issac – Regional Community & Sustainability Manager at Northern Rail
- Clive Eve – RDC Tutor/Assessor at The Bikeability Trust
A common focus across all schools’ campaigns was addressing congestion and improving road safety by reducing car usage. Many schools highlighted the importance of encouraging walking and cycling through incentives and competitions such as form-based challenges, active travel breakfasts and prize drawers and promoting park and stride by providing information on possible locations and safe walking routes.
Across the board, schools seek to use creative methods to engage students and staff in their campaigns, including form notices, school newspapers, assemblies, and social media. Monitoring methods included traffic counts, surveys, and participation tracking, ensuring that the impact of the campaigns could be measured effectively.
All schools came away with £200 to fund their campaigns as their presentations reflected strong teamwork, thoughtful planning and a commitment to making active and sustainable ravel a more appealing and accessible option for pupils. Bruntcliffe Academy and Temple Moor High School receiving an additional £50 for delivering an exceptional pitch.
Thank you to Rachel Jones, who put this summary of the event together.
This event supports Child Friendly Leeds wish 6:
Children and young people can travel around the city safely and easily.
