Sustrans celebrating first year of new home in Derry Active Travel Centre

Part of the North West Multi Modal Transport Hub, the arrival of Sustrans has animated the entrance area with activities and events taking place at the landmark setting through the four seasons. To mark their one year anniversary, Sustrans is inviting anyone interested in their activities to drop in to an informal information session on Saturday 14th October between 10am and 2pm.

Sustrans has three active travel officers covering schools, workplaces and the North West Greenway Network and a team of cycle instructors in the area are in training thanks to funding from Derry City and Strabane District Council.

Michelle Nash is the Active Travel Officer for the North West Greenway Network and hosts active travel sessions at the hub as well as at cross-border locations in Donegal.

She said: “It is a joy to work on the North West Greenways Network on either side of the border and having a base right on the Waterside Greenway is such a bonus. Many of our participants are either inexperienced or out of practice of riding a bicycle so it’s so reassuring for them to have traffic-free paths on which they can build up their confidence knowing they are safe.

“We know from feedback that there is an appetite for greater opportunities to choose active travel journeys if there is safe infrastructure in place and we are grateful to be able to give them the skills to start those journeys on the fantastic network of greenways.”

Nina Mukherji has attended many of the activities at the Active Travel Centre. A doctor at Altnagelvin Hospital, she is originally from Dublin so enjoys the social aspect of the cycles.

Nina said: “I enjoy going out in the group most, both for the social side and for safety. We go off-road and we’re all beginners so we’re learning from each other. It’s reassuring to have someone guiding you, telling you what to do and when. I also liked the fact that the sessions were regular.

“Going out on the bike with a group and a leader is an informal kind of exercise, the group gels and you look forward to the sessions so it’s good for mental health as well as physical.”

Altnagelvin Hospital is one of the workplaces participating in the Leading the Way programme funded by the Public Health Agency which is delivered by Sustrans in the North West by Kieran Coyle.

Having the greenways as well as Ebrington Square on their doorstep allows the participants in Kieran’s programme the space and scope to build on their confidence as well as do basic bike maintenance.

The Active Travel Centre is also a great place to introduce children taking part in the Active School Travel programme to the wider area and public transport options in the city. Earlier in the year, pupils from one local primary school visited and many said they’ve never been to the station. They enjoyed a tour before taking a walk along the Waterside Greenway before returning to their classroom.

Donna McFeely is the newly appointed Active School Travel officer for the North West and is meeting the many schoolchildren in the wider North West area who benefit from the skills delivered by Sustrans as part of the Active School Travel programme funded by the Public Health Agency and the Department for Infrastructure.

The Active Travel Officers also facilitate electric bike trials and loans, along with regular led rides, led walks, and bike fix sessions.

Sustrans in Derry is partners with Life Cycles which makes use of the workshop within the station, saving thousands of bikes from landfill which are then sold on, or fixing bikes brought in by members of the public, helped by a team of volunteers.

Life Cycles also assists in the delivery of some of the Sustrans programme funded by SEUPB on the North West Greenway Network.

Caroline Bloomfield, Director of Sustrans in Northern Ireland, said: “Our CEO and COO have both visited and been highly impressed with the set-up we have established here at the Active Travel Centre. We are grateful to Translink for providing us with this space.

“Its location is perfectly situated on the Waterside Greenway beside the train, making it easy and accessible for people to make their journeys by active travel and public transport without having to rely on cars.

“We look forward to seeing the centre flourish in the future as active travel becomes more embedded in the daily lives of people living, working in or visiting the North West.”

Sustrans Information Day takes place at the Active Travel Centre at Waterside Train Station on Saturday 14th October 2023, 10am – 2pm.

For more information, visit: www.sustrans.org.uk or follow them on social media @SustransNI.