Tag: active travel projects

Active travel projects across the country to benefit from launch of a trio of funds

SCOTLAND’s national walking charity has launched three funds worth £7 million in a bid to encourage Edinburgh locals to choose active travel.

The new Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) Active Nation Fund worth £1.5 million, the Ian Findlay Path Fund (£1.5 million) and the £5 million SCSP Open Fund have been announced by Paths for All this month.

Supported by Transport Scotland and backed by the government, the three funds hope to encourage Scots to drive less and to walk, wheel or cycle as part of their everyday short journeys to cut Scotland’s carbon emissions and improve air quality.

It is hoped the initiatives will help contribute to reversing the trend of inactive lifestyles by tackling health inequalities throughout the country.

Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie said: “I’m pleased to welcome the launch of three active travel funding opportunities delivered through Paths for All.

“This will help to support the growing ambitions of public, third and community-sector organisations to provide bigger and better active travel opportunities right across Scotland.

“As part of our record funding for active travel, this work directly supports our ambitions to build a more active nation – where more people can choose to walk, wheel and cycle for everyday journeys than ever before, and I look forward to seeing the success of new projects in action.”

The SCSP Active Nation Fund invites public, community and third-sector organisations to apply for up to £200,000 to support projects which encourage everyday travel behaviour change on a national or multi-regional level in Scotland.

To commemorate the legacy of the former Paths for All CEO, the Ian Findlay Path Fund supports projects designed to make improvements to local walkways and paths and to make them more accessible to all. Applicants can receive a grant of up to £100,000 for their project.

First launched in 2018, the SCSP Open Fund grants communities and public and third-sector organisations up to £100,000, and encourages people to change their everyday travel behaviours – such as using sustainable travel for longer journeys.

Kevin Lafferty, CEO of Paths for All, said: “These funds will increase the pace and scale of active travel delivery across the country as we collectively work together to encourage active travel for a happier, healthier and greener Scotland.

“If we all make small changes to our daily travel habits such as making walking, wheeling or cycling the natural choice for journeys to the local shop, school or pharmacy, for example, it will make a huge difference to our health and wellbeing.

“This new support will help deliver a step change in how we choose to travel in order to tackle the climate emergency and help reduce car kilometres and would only be possible with support from the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland. It means projects will be able to extend their reach and will be more effective in communicating important information and improving local assets.

“We would like to thank them for supporting the funds and look forward to seeing the amazing work that comes off the back of this.”

Applications for this round of funding opened on June 6.

To apply for the SCSP Active Nation Fund, please visit: 

https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/active-travel/smarter-choices-smarter-places-1/active-nation-fund

To apply for the SCSP Open Fund, please visit: 

https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/active-travel/smarter-choices-smarter-places-1/open-fund

To apply for the Ian Findlay Path Fund, please visit: 

https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/community-paths/cmp-grants/ian-findlay-path-fund

To read inspiring more examples of how funding has been used to further active travel in Scotland, please visit: https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/active-travel/at-success-stories

Active travel projects to benefit from up to £100,000 with the Open Fund

SCOTLAND’s walking charity, Paths for All has increased the maximum amount of its active travel Open Fund available to public, community and third-sector organisations who can now apply for grants up to £100,000.

Supported by Transport Scotland, the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) Open Fund doubled from £2.5 million to £5 million earlier this year as it aims to help cut Scotland’s carbon emissions and improve air quality by supporting people across Scotland to travel in more active and sustainable ways.

Projects will be able to apply for between £5,000 and now up to £100,000 – which is a 50% increase from previous years.

The extension aims to create new opportunities for organisations and projects to extend their ambition to adopt active and sustainable travel in order to reduce the reliance on cars.

Initiatives will be focused on encouraging more people to change their everyday travel behaviours and help provide opportunities to drive less and to walk or cycle as part of their everyday short journeys or to use public transport for longer journeys.

Graham McQueen, SCSP Manager at Paths for All, said: “With the continued support of Transport Scotland, we are delighted to be able to increase the maximum amount of grant available through the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund to community groups and charities across Scotland.

“This increase recognises the importance of encouraging people to drive less and to travel in a more sustainable manner. We are facing an immediate climate crisis and we need to act now.

“With these larger grants, applicants can extend their reach to more people and can be more effective in reducing the number of car journeys being made on our roads.”

A total of £13.5 million has been awarded to 542 projects across Scotland after the Open Fund was first launched in 2017.

Kevin Lafferty, CEO of Paths for All, said: “Being able to announce that Paths for All’s funding programme to help Scotland choose smarter ways to travel has increased its fund ceiling from £50k to £100k for the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund is fantastic news.

“The grant fund is available to support public, third and community sector organisations in Scotland to deliver innovative behaviour change projects that promote active and sustainable travel.

“The fund is helping cut Scotland’s carbon emissions and improve our air quality by encouraging people to use public transport or other sustainable options such as buses and community car clubs for longer journeys, walking and cycling for short journeys.

“This means the potential average award can now increase and we would like to thank Transport Scotland for their continued support for the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund which has left us over the moon.”

Applications for this round of funding are welcome until 31 March 2023 and will be awarded for a period of 12 months. To apply or to find out more, please visit https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/open-fund or take a look at our guidance.

Supported by Transport Scotland, Smarter Choices, Smarter Places is Paths for All’s funding programme that exists to encourage people to choose smarter ways to travel. The programme supports public, third and community-sector organisations across the country to deliver active and sustainable projects, as well as supporting every local authority in Scotland to encourage more journeys by foot, bike and public transport.

To read inspiring examples of how funding has been used to further active travel in Scotland, please visit: 

https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/active-travel/at-success-stories