Edlington residents encouraged to audit their area to help make Doncaster’s streets Fitter for Walking
Tenants and residents in Edlington are determined to make their mark by getting out and about on their local streets to audit and suggest improvements to help improve the area.
On Saturday 20th March at 10.30am, members of the Edlington Royal TARA (Tenants and Residents Association) and other local community members and officials will be joining national charity Living Streets through their Fitter for Walking project, to undertake a Community Street Audit of their local streets. The route will start off at the top of Staveley Street near the allotments, come down the back alleyway and return up the main street finishing around the entrance to Victoria Primary School. The Community Street Audit will give residents the opportunity to scrutinise their own area, highlighting where the problems are and what could be done to make a better walking environment for everyone.
Living Streets is the national charity that works to create safe, attractive and enjoyable streets around the UK. It runs the Fitter For Walking project in Doncaster thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund and in partnership with Doncaster Council.
Since the launch of the project in 2008, Jim Shaw, Fitter for Walking Coordinator for the Yorkshire and Humber region, has been teaming together with local residents and community groups to make sure their views of their local area are heard. The Community Street Audit on Staveley Street will be the first in a series of activities to encourage walking and promote a sense of pride in the area.
Fitter for Walking is part of a group of projects that will be helping 2 million people nationwide become more physically active, by incorporating regular walking or cycling into their daily lives. Doncaster Council is an official partner in the Fitter for Walking project and is eager to work with Living Streets and residents to encourage more people to get walking locally.
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets, said:
“This is a very exciting project for us, and we are really pleased to be working with the residents of Edlington. Through our Fitter for Walking project we hope to make our streets accessible to all of us, without the threat of uneven pavements and excess clutter, and by making changes; we believe we can encourage more people to walk regularly, reducing congestion and creating a stronger sense of community.”
Any community groups interested in taking part in Fitter for Walking should contact Jim Shaw on 07950 048491 or by emailing jim.shaw@livingstreets.org.uk
Published by: Travel Actively on Monday April 12 2010
