Let’s Get Moving: Swap to Active and Sustainable Travel for a Greener Future!
Get ready for the Great Big Green Week—the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to protect nature and tackle climate change! This year, we’re encouraging everyone to take part by embracing active and sustainable travel. Whether you’re walking, cycling, or hopping on public transport, each step you take brings us closer to a safer, greener future.
Why Make the Swap to Active Travel?
It’s simple: we all want cleaner air, quieter streets, and healthier lives. By swapping short car trips for walking, cycling, or using public transport, you’re doing your bit to reduce carbon emissions, fight climate change, and improve local air quality. Not to mention, you’ll boost your health, save money, and connect with your community in ways you never thought possible!
It’s a win-win for you, your neighbours, and the planet.
How Does Active Travel Make a Difference?
Every small swap counts! When we shift away from using cars, we’re making a massive difference to our planet—reducing traffic, cutting down on pollution, and making our towns and cities more liveable for everyone. It’s about improving not just the environment, but our own quality of life.
Better Health: Walking and cycling are great ways to stay fit. Why not take the long route home, enjoy the fresh air, and boost your fitness along the way?
Cleaner Streets: Less traffic means cleaner, quieter streets. Imagine living in a place where the air is fresher, and the roads are safer for children and pedestrians.
Stronger Communities: Walking or cycling to a local event, shop, or café connects you with people in your community and creates a sense of togetherness.
How Can You Get Involved?
The Great Big Green Week runs from 7th to 15th June 2025, and this year, it’s all about swapping for good! You can make a difference by promoting active travel in your local area. Whether you’re a school, a business, a community group, or just someone looking to do their bit, here’s how you can get involved:
Organise a Group Bike Ride or Walk: Get together with friends, family, or neighbours and show how fun and easy it is to travel sustainably!
Host a Sustainable Travel Workshop: Help others learn how to make the switch to active travel. It could be tips on bike maintenance or how to map out walking routes.
Create a Car-Free Day in Your Area: Encourage locals to leave their cars at home for the day. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes when people get out and about in a cleaner, quieter neighbourhood.
Repair Café or Swap Shop: Got a broken bike? Or perhaps you have clothes and items lying around that could be swapped or repaired instead of thrown away? Organise a repair or swap event!
There are endless ways to get creative and promote active travel in your community. The more, the merrier!
Why Your Efforts Matter
In 2024, 600,000 people participated in the Great Big Green Week—and the momentum continues to grow. By supporting active and sustainable travel, you’re helping to build a national movement that sends a powerful message to governments and businesses: we want change, and we want it now.
This is our chance to make a statement, reduce our carbon footprint, and create a future where we’re not just talking about change—we’re living it.
Ready to Make a Difference?
No matter who you are or where you’re from, your contribution counts. Join us for the Great Big Green Week from 7th to 15th June 2025, and let’s come together to swap cars for bikes, buses, and our own two feet! Whether you’re a student, a parent, a teacher, a business owner, or a neighbour, your action can inspire others and help create a greener, healthier future for all.
For more information and resources to get started, check out the Great Big Green Week website.