Pupils pitch to Dragons to secure funding for school active travel campaigns
Scratch cards to reward active travel and a whole-school walkathon were just two of the initiatives presented by pupils at a Dragon's Den-style event held at County Hall.
Teams of students from across the region pitched their ideas for active travel campaigns in a bid to secure funding for their school at the Campaign Junction on Monday 16 March. Up to £200 was available for each school group and could be used for anything from competition prizes to a bike stand.
Schools taking part were Framingham Earl High School, Ormiston Venture Academy, Beccles High School and Bungay High School. The judging panel was made up of Esme Holtom, AtoBetter Travel Plan Coordinator, and Edgar Fernandez, WSP Sustainable Travel Planner.
Campaign Junction was hosted by Norfolk County Council's AtoBetter Project and delivered by Keith Woodward, Active Travel Ambassador Coordinator (East of England) from Modeshift, a leading national organisation promoting sustainable travel.
The day began with the message that the event was "all about giving pupils the space to share their ideas, tell their stories, and show what they think would help more children travel actively". The panel simply wanted to understand their thinking, creativity, and the impact they hoped their campaigns would have.
The Active Travel Ambassador (ATA) programme, funded by Active Travel England, works with high schools and local authorities to increase and promote active travel to and from school, supporting students to develop the confidence and skills needed to promote lasting behaviour change.
Schools work with a Modeshift Active Travel Coordinator, who supports a group of 6-12 students aged 11 and upwards, alongside school staff, to develop their project. Pupils carry out research, undertake site audits, and explore different ways to encourage active travel.
Campaigns often focus on ideas such as walking competitions, Cycle to School Week, or other creative ideas and campaigns. Schools that took part last year saw significant increases in active travel, with one high school achieving an impressive 74% of pupils cycling or walking to school — a 10% increase.
Reflecting on the event, Esme Holtom, AtoBetter Travel Plan Coordinator and Dragon, said: "This is a fantastic programme because it gives students the confidence and skills to tackle the transport issues affecting their school and promote behaviour change. We were so impressed by the confidence, teamwork and imagination shown in today's presentations. It's clear how much thought and passion the pupils put into their campaigns.
"They've tackled real challenges, from congestion at the school gates to safety concerns, and explored ways to encourage more students and families to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle. Every campaign we heard today has the potential to make a positive difference.
"I would really encourage other schools to get involved with the Active Travel Ambassador programme and explore the other active and sustainable travel initiatives we can offer."
To learn more about how your school can get involved next year, visit: AtoBetter school programmes.
School Highlights
Framingham Earl High School
Participating for the fourth year and led by a team of Year 8 students, the school created an information‑led campaign highlighting the carbon footprint of car journeys and the health benefits of active travel. Their project featured a "wheel of fortune" to reward active journeys with points and prizes, alongside plans for a themed fun run. The school has previously received £5,000 in AtoBetter funding for cycle parking.
Ormiston Venture Academy
Now in its third year of participation and a previous recipient of £5,000 AtoBetter funding, the school has hosted an AtoBetter active travel roadshow and achieved a 9% increase in active travel modes over three years. Its 2026 proposal builds on this success, offering walk‑and‑wheel tickets and scratch cards to reward active travel. Staff are also encouraged to get involved, with the chance to win £10 coffee gift cards.
Beccles High School
Using its STEM after‑school club, pupils designed a whole‑school walking challenge in which students attempted to match the STEM group's step count to win prizes. Judges praised the whole‑school approach and the campaign's focus on raising awareness of the benefits of walking and cycling.
Bungay High School
Bungay delivered a comprehensive and well‑planned package of activities including a walkathon, car‑sharing promotion and even behaviour‑improvement ideas for school bus journeys after students reported that buses were "too loud". Their campaign, led by the eco council and prefects from across year groups, included a "Bank a Bike Ride" challenge with a daily raffle as a reward.
Awards and Funding
All participating schools were awarded the full £200 by the judges to deliver their campaigns over the summer term.
Bungay High School received an additional £50 for an outstanding presentation.
Framingham Earl and Ormiston Venture also received a bonus £50 from the AtoBetter project to support their campaigns.
The AtoBetter project — fully funded by developers — has previously supported these schools and Thorpe St Andrew High School with £5,000 grants to help improve facilities and promote active school journeys.
