{"id":25948,"date":"2024-12-12T14:52:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T14:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.systra.com\/uk\/?post_type=projects&p=25948"},"modified":"2026-03-05T11:25:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T11:25:13","slug":"city-of-doncaster-council-active-travel-feasibility-study","status":"publish","type":"projects","link":"https:\/\/www.systra.com\/uk\/project\/city-of-doncaster-council-active-travel-feasibility-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Active Travel Social Prescribing Feasibility Study – City of Doncaster Council"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Technical details<\/div>\n \t
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Customer<\/div>\n\t
Doncaster City Council (CDC)<\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n
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Dates<\/div>\n

April to June 2022<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Missions<\/div>\n
Transport Planning Consultant<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Localisation<\/div>\n
Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Perimeter<\/div>\n
Transport Planning, Walking & Cycling, Public & Stakeholder Consultation, Social Impacts and Equity in Transport, Monitoring & Evaluation, Scheme Appraisal, Behavioural Change in Transport<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Activity<\/div>\n
Active Travel<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Can ‘socially prescribed’ walking and cycling improve health and wellbeing?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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City of Doncaster Council (CDC) wanted to submit a bid for funding from the Active Travel Social Prescribing pilot scheme, run by the Department for Transport (DfT). Social prescribing involves referring patients to community services or activities to improve their health and well-being. The DfT Active Travel Social Prescribing pilot offered \u00a313.9m to selected local authorities over three years, to pilot ways in which walking and cycling could be prescribed by GPs to improve health and promote active modes of transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CDC was keen to apply for funding to address health inequalities in the disadvantaged Balby area of the city. Balby has high levels of inactivity and unemployment, with 44% of residents having never engaged in moderate physical activity. The council felt that prescribing walking groups, cycle training and other walking and cycling activities could help local people become more active and improve their physical and mental well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CDC commissioned SYSTRA’s specialist multi-disciplinary team to undertake and deliver a feasibility<\/a> study within the eight-week timescale set by the DfT. To access the funding, it needed to demonstrate that money allocated to Doncaster would deliver value and result in the desired health improvements and a shift to more walking and cycling locally. The council also needed to develop referral pathways for walking and cycling activities in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilot scheme represented an incredible opportunity for Doncaster to access significant new funding and take part in an important national pilot linking active travel with health improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ride, Stride and Thrive is Doncaster\u2019s Active Travel Social Prescribing pilot.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Multi-disciplinary feasibility study completed in just six weeks<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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SYSTRA completed all elements of the funding submission, as required by DfT, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n