Support Active Travel with TfGM’s Youth Travel Ambassadors
In this article, hear from Claire, Ambar, Daniel, Libby and Megan, who are Transport for Greater Manchester’s Youth Travel Ambassadors on what the programme is, the changes they can make and the skills they have developed.
What is the Youth Travel Ambassador (YTA) Programme?
If your school is in Greater Manchester, then it can apply to be part of the Youth Travel Ambassador programme. The programme is a Greater Manchester wide scheme that gives you the opportunity and support needed to address transport issues experienced by your school. It means promoting a healthier, active travel lifestyle for you and your fellow classmates. By setting up an ambassador group in your school, you handle promoting and spreading the message of active travel. Active travel is all about walking more, cycling more, and lowering the usage of cars when getting to school.
“Did you know that 90% of children own a bike, 48% of children WANT to cycle to school, but only 2% actually do. Getting involved with the YTA is the perfect opportunity to try and improve your local community by solving their issues that they have with active travel.”
What is active travel and why is it important?
Active travel refers to any form of transportation that involves physical activity, such as walking, cycling or scooting. It’s a great way to incorporate exercise into our daily routines while also reducing our carbon footprint. Active travel has numerous benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, increase mental wellbeing and reduce stress levels. It’s also an environmentally friendly choice as it helps decrease pollution and traffic congestion. By choosing active travel options, we can enjoy the outdoors, staying fit, and contribute to creating a greener and healthier world. So, whether its walking to school, cycling to work, or exploring new places on foot active travel is a fantastic way to stay active and make a positive impact on our community.
What transport does Greater Manchester offer?
GM offers a variety of transport options to get around! You can hop on the tram, which is a convenient and efficient way to travel within Manchester and its surrounding areas. The bus network is also extensive with many routes covering different parts of the city region. If you prefer a more eco-friendly option, you can rent a bike from the city bike sharing scheme or even use your own bike to explore. And of course, there always walking if you’re up for a leisurely stroll. So, whether you’re heading to the city centre exploring neighbourhoods or venturing beyond Manchester has got you covered with its diverse transport choices. Learn more and plan your routes here with the Bee Network journey planner!
What is involved in the YTA programme?
Being a YTA will require commitment. This includes weekly meetings with your fellow YTAs to plan and discuss activities for the upcoming term, but also the commitment you need to display to the school community. Commitment is key to promoting your cause. If classmates see the time and effort you’re putting into assemblies or events, they are more likely to pay attention to your cause and join in.
You could be getting involved with events across GM, starting with the pitching event and celebration event at the end (where schools share their success after they are finished with their plan). This programme also includes events for schools to improve their rate of active travelling.
Other activities include meetings with a YTA coordinator to help young people on their journey to improve active travel and meetings with your YTA teacher in charge of the YTA team of students to discuss ideas and plans. It also includes doing research to enhance your ideas to make sure as many pupils can take part as possible. If a school chooses to, they may include promoting their ideas by designing posters and displaying them around school or doing a special assembly to inform students and teachers about what the YTA representatives will be introducing to the school.
“During the first year our group won the £500 funding and chose to run a campaign known as “Walking Wednesdays” where every Wednesday for a month a group of students met with a teacher to walk together to school. In return, the participating students would receive a drink, a breakfast bar and to be put into a raffle for a prize. The money from the funding was used for the printing of the posters, stickers, the breakfast items, and the prizes for the final raffle at the end of the month.”
Why should you be involved?
As a generation that is outspoken and beginning to find our voice in the world, we want to be impactful and make a change. The environment is something that has been the key headline for many years now, and rightfully so. As a result, social change is happening and people’s social attitudes towards the environment is also improving. But right now, what can we learn from this and how do we act on this topic in our position as young people in education?
Start by promoting positive change in your school. If you enjoy leadership roles, or enjoy working in a team and brainstorming ideas with your friends, you could be a good YTA. You become more aware of how you travel to school and any issues that may affect your school’s ability to actively contribute to walking, cycling etc. You have the ability to make real change in the activities and habits of the students and staff at your school and the impact that you see encourages you to further develop your skills as a youth travel ambassador.
You learn public speaking skills, critical thinking and utilise your creativity. Furthermore, this is a well-established, official scheme from TfGM (Transport for Greater Manchester) and is something you can put on your CV or personal statement when applying for university. Being a YTA doesn’t just show dedication and a strong set of skills, but a passion and drive for change and it is an advantageous qualification for you and your school to obtain.
