Wheels in motion: NHS Cheshire and Merseyside and Chris Boardman promote active travel to bridge health gaps

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Associate Director of Population Health, Ceriann Tunnah, joined Commissioner of Active Travel England, Chris Boardman, to champion inclusive, accessible, and sustainable cycling for communities across the Liverpool City Region.

Ceriann joined the Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist at the Pedal Together event at Croxteth Hall, where they discussed the role of physical activity as a preventative intervention – helping to reduce health inequalities, particularly for people with disabilities and those living in the region’s most deprived communities.

Pedal Together Liverpool is a half-day event, organised by Wheels for All and supported by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. It’s designed to celebrate and promote inclusive cycling for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

The event brings together commissioners, decision-makers, and community members to showcase the health and wellbeing benefits of active travel and cycling.

During the event, Ceriann highlighted the key beliefs that underpin NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s partnership with All Together Active – the region’s physical activity strategy for health and social care:

That physical activity should be valued as equally important as clinical care – for both prevention and treatment of ill health.

And that everyone should have the opportunity to actively travel – by walking, wheeling, or cycling – to NHS appointments or their NHS place of work.

Ceriann said: 

Moving from sickness to prevention is central to the NHS’s 10-Year Health Plan, forming one of the three key ‘shifts’. 

Find out more about Wheels for All and All Together Active.