Politicians and our partners attended an event at Parliament Buildings in Stormont, to hear all about how our new 5-year strategy sets to empower millions to walk, wheel and cycle - for their health, their wellbeing and their world.
Kate Nicholl MLA for South Belfast (centre) helped us launch new brand and strategy at Stormont on 12 November. Pictured with Mark Shields, Head of Policy and Communications Scotland, Cymru and Northern Ireland and Anne Madden, Policy & Communications Manager for Northern Ireland at Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.
Assembly Member for South Belfast, Kate Nicholl welcomed the charity's new name and strategy.
"This is a wonderful charity doing really important work on skills and advocacy. I wish you well and I'm excited for your next chapter,” she said.
Speaking at the event she described how we had helped her 'get on her bike' to commute to work when she was Belfast Lord Mayor.
"I had discussed with a lot of my friends how many of our husbands cycled to work but we didn't," she said. "A lot of my female friends just needed the confidence, so the charity introduced me to this wonderful course, called the Women into Cycling Programme.
"I got so much from it and started cycling. The charity helped me find a route from my house to City Hall. It opened up the city to me in a different way. Being able to cycle has completely changed how I can get to places and given me the confidence to do it.
"As a legislator I now better understand the problems people cycling experience, such as broken glass in cycle lanes, the problems with potholes - and I can advocate on a deeper level.”
The Women into Cycling Project is funded by the Public Health Agency through the Leading the Way Programme which we deliver.
Christine McMillen from Brain Injury Matters, also spoke at the event.
She described the impact of the weekly Pedal Power project at the Active Travel Hub in CS Lewis Square in east Belfast, where people with acquired brain injuries use adapted bikes to help their rehabilitation.
L to R at Stormont event: Claire Pollock, Head of Walk Wheel Cycle Trust Northern Ireland; Fiona MacLeod, Director Scotland, Cymru and Northern Ireland; Christine McMillen, Brain Injury Matters; Perla Mansour, Network Development Manager and Beth Harding, Active School Travel Programme Manager N.Ireland
Moving forwards with our new name and strategy
Walk Wheel Cycle Trust is the new name for Sustrans.
We're still the same charity that's been making it possible for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle since 1977.
But our previous brand didn't easily help us showcase the huge impact that our work has on our health, our wellbeing and our world. And our purpose just didn't quite emotionally connect with people the way we knew it could.
We’re not as well-known as we’d like to be and even those who do know about our charity are sometimes confused about what we do and what we're trying to achieve.
That's why we've made changes to our look, how we talk about ourselves, and we've got a new name.
Our strategy
Our 2025-50 strategy aims to improve and build the National Cycle Network to:
- Make it possible for every child to walk, wheel or cycle to school.
- Improve integration with public transport.
- Help new homes and communities thrive by ensuring active travel infrastructure is at the heart of every new development.
Our new strategy was presented by Head of Northern Ireland, Claire Pollock and Director for Scotland, Cymru and Northern Ireland Fiona MacLeod alongside project colleagues.
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