Evaluation Report Delapre Cycling and Walking Social Prescription - Baseline Phase

West Northamptonshire Council, in partnership with Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, secured £93,000 of funding to conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of a cycling and walking social prescription programme in the grounds of Delapré Abbey. This funding has been awarded by the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund – Active Travel Social Prescription Pilot. The objectives of the project were to deliver a pilot able to:

1. Address local community identified needs relating to underrepresented groups, high levels of deprivation and health inequalities.
2. Actively promote increased levels of physical activity through cycling and walking.
3. Demonstrate clear links between infrastructure development and the proposed social prescribing schemes.
4. Support modal shift to active travel providing people with travel choices and supporting changes in behaviour.

The feasibility study was used to design and develop the social prescription pilot, which includes a Cycling and Walking Hub, cycle hire, volunteering and skills development, and Delapré Park pathway upgrades (Figure 1). The feasibility study was submitted to the Department for Transport on the 29th of April 2022 as part of the next round of pilot funding application to secure a grant, which will be used, in addition to locally sourced funding, to establish the Cycling and Walking Social Prescription Programme, Cycling and Walking Hub, and Delapré Park pathway upgrades.

The University of Northampton was appointed to conduct a baseline evaluation, as part of the feasibility study, to determine current route use through Delapré Park and underpinning motivations, as well as public suggestions about the proposed delivery of the Cycling and Walking Social Prescription Programme and the Cycling and Walking Hub at Delapré Abbey.