Residents in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, can now take part in a new series of free community walks and cycling sessions as part of the 2026 Walk and Wheel programme. Organised by Gateshead Council’s Active Travel Gateshead team, the initiative offers guided sessions to help people get active and to promote cheaper, sustainable ways to travel around the borough. The programme includes led walks lasting between about 30 and 90 minutes, alongside adult “Learn to Ride” cycling sessions and “Easy Cycle Rides” of roughly 3–5 miles.
Sessions are being held at several local locations, including Saltwell Park, the Derwent Walk and Gateshead International Stadium. For 2026, new routes and sessions have been added to improve access in neighbourhoods such as Teams and Pelaw so people in those areas can join in without needing a car. Timetables published by the council and community partners show a range of weekday and midweek sessions (including activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and community cycle rides on weekdays; we did not find evidence that the Walk and Wheel programme runs a regular series of longer Saturday-morning rides.
The 2026 programme is a Gateshead Council initiative, supported by local NHS partners including Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, and forms part of wider efforts to improve wellbeing and address health inequalities across the borough. The council’s Active Travel Social Prescribing pilot is creating formal referral routes so clinicians and social prescribers can suggest walks and rides as part of care plans to support physical health and reduce loneliness. Alice Wiseman, Director of Public Health for Gateshead, has emphasised the need to address the root causes of ill health and to use community-based activity and prevention measures to improve outcomes.
Most of the Walk and Wheel sessions are advertised as “turn up on the day” (no booking required). However, cycle training and some specific learning sessions (for example many “Learn to Ride” slots) require advance registration via the council’s booking system or by contacting the Active Travel team ([email protected]). The expansion of active travel options follows a grant of nearly £1 million awarded to Gateshead to support active travel work; the funding is intended to increase participation and help keep community sessions free in 2026.
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