National Cycle Network wins major award
8th Novemeber 2004The British public has voted the National Cycle Network as its choice for a prestigious National Lottery's Helping Hand 'UK Life Award'. The award, which recognises the National Lottery- funded project that has made the greatest overall impact to UK national life was announced on Saturday (6th November) at an award ceremony at London's Tate Modern.
The National Cycle Network and Sustrans, the Bristol charity behind it, were short-listed from over 1,000 entries nominated by the public earlier this summer. Over the past two weeks Lottery phone lines have been flooded with calls from fans of the National Cycle Network from across the UK.
John Grimshaw, Sustrans' Chief Executive said: "The National Cycle Network is truly nationwide. 126 million walking and cycling trips were made in 2003 and we are seeing more and more people using it each year. This award is further confirmation that we are really making an impact by helping more people around the UK to walk and cycle, encouraging healthier lifestyles, reducing car congestion and lowering pollution levels. This is the truly sustainable way to travel. We thank everyone who voted for us, and, of course the National Lottery, who's funding has allowed us to realise a vision that has already given the UK almost 10,000 miles of National Cycle Network."
Mike O'Connor CBE, Director of the Millennium Commission said, "The National Cycle Network is a wonderful project and fully merits the National Lottery money provided by the Millennium Commission. It absolutely deserves the prize of being voted one of the nation's favourite Lottery projects in the first Helping Hand Awards."
It was the £43.5m award from the National Lottery that enabled the opening of the first 5,000 miles in June 2000. Over 8,200 miles of the Network is now open and Sustrans are on course to open 10,000 miles of route by the end of 2005. Sustrans works in partnership with more than 400 local councils, British Waterways and others organisations. You can find out about routes near you by visiting www.sustrans.org.uk. Its interactive route-finder received 600,000 hits last year
Story supplied by British Cycling