Latest News and Events
Competition winners grab a bike
Christmas came early for two Walsall people this week who each claimed a new mountain bike worth £250 after entering the Travel to Work Differently competition.
The campaign, spearheaded by Walsall Partnership, was held in September to encourage thousands of workers and residents in the borough to consider using alternative modes of transport to commute or visit Walsall town centre.
The partnership arranged two competitions – one for council staff and one for residents to enter using the Walsall Pride publication and the Travel to Work Differently website.
Twenty-six year old Cristina Trevino from Walsall Children’s Services and resident Mark Waller from Walsall each won a Rincon mountain bike from bike store FR Russells in Stafford Street, Walsall.
Cristina, originally from Dallas in Texas, who works for the council’s family placement service praised the partnership’s sustainable mobility campaign, saying: “I love the project you are doing. I strongly believe in using alternative modes of transportation that minimise the impact on the earth.
“I also value other forms of transport such as trains and buses because you get to meet people that you normally never would have. If you car pool (with a colleague) you can also get to know someone that little better.”
Nearly 300 people took part in the competition, which helped to raise awareness of the Travel to Work Differently campaign.
Travel to Work Differently campaign is a success
Workers in Walsall have been praised for supporting a transport campaign in September, spearheaded by Walsall Partnership.
The week-long Travel to Work Differently campaign took place from 16 to 22 September with the aim of encouraging workers and residents visiting the town centre during the week to use public transport, cycle, walk or car share with a colleague.
The initiative became the first of its kind to take place in The Black Country and was supported by Walsall Council, Walsall Housing Group, NHS Walsall and the Midcounties Co-op in a bid to champion sustainable transport, protect the environment and encourage a healthier lifestyle.
Clive Wright, director for Walsall Partnership said: “On the whole, the campaign was well-received and prompted some car drivers to find an alternative method of getting to town. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported the initiative.
“The online survey on the Travel to Work Differently website revealed that 68% of our colleagues said they would consider using the bus or cycling to work during the week and we believe that most were able to achieve this. This shows promise that the campaign had an effect on the travelling habits of our workforce.
“It also gave us the opportunity to raise awareness of this important issue and help people realise they can play an important role in making Walsall a greener and more pleasant place to live.
“Our long-term objective for sustainable transport isn’t about setting aside one week in the year to encourage people to try alternative methods of transport. Traffic congestion is still an issue that affects almost every local authority in England and we need to make sure that campaigns such as Travel to Work Differently get us to think more about our travel habits in the long-term.
“But it was an encouraging start and will hopefully give us a platform to build on for next year’s campaign.”
The website www.traveltoworkdifferently.org.uk encouraged take-up of the scheme and generated nearly a thousand hits, with links to bus and transport agency websites.
Results from the Travel to Work Differently online survey revealed some interesting statistics of the travel plans for Walsall Council employees:
- 40% of Walsall Council employees spend 16 to 30 minutes travelling to work at the start of their working day;
- 31% travel 2 to 5 miles from their home to the workplace everyday, and 6.4% travel 21 miles or more
- 52% use the car on their own; 8% share with a colleague; 15% commute by bus; 8% use the train and 7% walk
- 56% say they travel by car since it offers the quickest journey time; 44% claim their car is essential to their job and 32% believe public transport is not good enough
- Over 52% agree that using alternative forms of transport is a viable and practical option for them; 85% believe that more people should consider using alternative means of travelling to work.
Walsall Partnership Relaunch Website
Walsall’s local strategic partnership is pleased to announce the relaunch of its website.
After months of hard work, planning and development the www.walsallpartnership.org.uk has a fresh new look which incorporates a number of significant improvements; including clearer navigation, a news and events section, partner links and information, and also a feedback survey.
The new look website coincides with the official re- branding of Walsall Partnership (formally Walsall Borough Strategic Partnership) who are responsible for coordinating the activity of the key public sector agencies working in Walsall. The website is easier to navigate than before and improves accessibility of certain key documents including our Sustainable Community Strategy, Local Area Agreement and our Board and Executive Committee papers.
At Walsall Partnership we take communication very seriously and by talking and listening to our partners we have taken on board comments and views which have been implemented on our new improved website.
Over the next few months Walsall Partnership will conduct an online user survey; so let us know what you think and if you feel there are any improvements still to be made.
Walsall launches campaign ‘Travel to Work Differently’
Walsall is set to join hundreds of cities across Europe by championing the benefits of sustainable mobility.
The campaign, ‘Travel to Work Differently’ took place from Tuesday September 16 to Monday September 22. It is the first initiative of its kind to take place in The Black Country and is part of Walsall’s continuing effort to champion sustainable transport, boost the environment and encourage a healthier lifestyle.
Find out more about 'Travel to Work Differently'
The Nottingham Declaration
The Nottingham Declaration, launched in October 2000 and subsequently re-launched in December 2005, is a voluntary pledge to address the issues of climate change.
At its Board meeting held on 17 December 2007, Walsall Partnership (formerly Walsall Borough Strategic Partnership) announced its commitment to tackling climate change in Walsall by signing up to the Nottingham Declaration.
View more details on Walsall joining the Nottingham Declaration
Contact us
If you have any queries or would like more information please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
Walsall Partnership
First Floor
Challenge Building
Hatherton Road
Walsall
WS1 1YG
Telephone 01922 654709
Email walsallpartnership@walsall.gov.uk
