Council celebrates Active Travel Challenge success
3 August 2026
Derry City and Strabane District Council staff are celebrating after achieving an impressive Runner-Up position in the Active Travel Challenge 2026, finishing second in the 500-999 employee category.
The Council team were just pipped at the post by staff at North West Regional College, who also took up the challenge to embrace more sustainable ways of travelling throughout the month of June.
Employees across the Council played their part in the challenge, which is organised by Translink, by walking, cycling, using public transport, car-sharing, and choosing alternative methods of travel that reduced reliance on private cars.
Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Grace Uí Niallais, praised staff for their dedication and the positive impact their participation has had. "I am delighted to extend my congratulations to the Council team,” she declared. “This is a fantastic achievement and reflects the enthusiasm and commitment shown by staff across the organisation.
"A sincere thank you to everyone who took part. Whether you walked, cycled, used public transport or found another way to leave the car behind, every journey contributed to our success.
"While it's great to be recognised for our participation, the real achievement is the difference people made to their own health and wellbeing, as well as helping to promote more sustainable travel choices."
The Active Travel Challenge encourages workplaces to adopt healthier and more environmentally friendly travel habits, helping participants improve their wellbeing while reducing their environmental impact. Compared with driving, it’s estimated that staff efforts saved 170kg of CO2 over the total of 1,385 Miles.
The achievement reflects Council’s ongoing commitment to promoting sustainability, health and wellbeing, and active lifestyles right across the City and District.
Throughout the month 1,104 participants registered to take part overall, logging an impressive 19,256 journeys by walking, scooting, wheeling, car-share, bus, train, even paddle boarding the commute to work and for every day journeys, reducing carbon emissions by 10,959kg of Co2 and over £28,000 in cost savings.