D2N2 LEP collaboration project - Sustrans
Who are we?
Sustrans makes smarter travel choices possible, desirable and inevitable. We're a leading UK charity enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public transport for more of the journeys we make every day..
What can we offer?
Sustrans is passionate about supporting individuals and communities to secure a good level of community connectivity and access to services, employment and education. We have over 30 years' experience of developing and delivering practical, cost-effective initiatives that enable many more people to travel by foot, bike or public transport, throughout the UK. Furthermore, Sustrans can support the strengthening of community cohesion through our activities and we would be keen to discuss this with potential partners.
Sustran firmly believes that our local sustainable transport cross-cutting interventions, promoting walking and cycling (both in terms of infrastructure development and behavioural change) are designed to tackle poverty and promote social inclusion as addressed through EU Thematic Objective (TO9) as expressed through D2N2 LEP's EU SIF people centred community aspirations - "The LEP will provide support in targeting communities where there are high rates of social exclusion. We will support excluded groups to access training and work through specific support and anti-discrimination measures" (page 5, 62 onwards) with subsequent and strong references to sustainable and smarter travel (page 53 onwards).
Sustrans can demonstrate the need for such an intervention through the theme of transport poverty, which we highlighted as an issue in 2013. In summary, nearly 1.5 million people are at high risk from transport poverty and that 50% of English local authorities have at least one high risk area.
Of course, it also offers much more in terms of a "sense of place" including local vitality and health and wellbeing benefits as well as potentially meeting other SIF aspirations, such as TO7 - support transport in improving the accessibility and viability of priority employment and development sites in the LEP area including sustainability and individualised travel planning; and promoting smarter and sustainable travel at the city and borough level, within the Peak District National Park and the visitor economy, together with supporting TO8 - promoting employment and supporting labour mobility in supporting community led approaches to skills development where they can help to increase levels of engagement, for example in rural areas, or to individuals facing specific issues such as transport.
More information on Sustrans and our services is available via www.sustrans.org.uk/our-services/what-we-do.
Who do we wish to partner with and project ideas?
We are keen to support any organisations or consortia which wish to address social inequality or support the development of green infrastructure.
Sustrans sees its offer, of providing better transport opportunities, as an integral part of a package of solutions rather than as acting as a thematic lead, potentially focusing on infrastructure development, eco/green/rural tourism, access to services and education as well as jobs and training, for example in the setting up of community based training and employment hubs, though this is not an exclusive list.
Contact details
For more information please contact our Regional Director for the East Midlands, Matt Easter, at matthew.easter@sustrans.org.uk or on 0115 853 2959 / 07787 289292.