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Sustainability

Boost Your Skills This Summer With ActiveWestminster Foundation Training Courses!

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Boost Your Skills This Summer With ActiveWestminster Foundation Training Courses!

Looking to enhance your skills, boost your employability, or take the first step into a career in sport, leisure, or physical activity? This June and July, ActiveWestminster is offering a range of FREE Foundation Training courses designed to help you grow, learn and thrive in your professional journey.

Whether you’re just starting out, looking for a career change, or want to build on your existing experience, our training offer provides high-quality, accredited courses that support you in becoming active in your community – and beyond.

What’s Coming up

These courses are ideal for aspiring coaches, volunteers, students, and professionals working across sport, leisure, health, and education sectors.

June:

  • British Fencing – Fencing Course: Wednesday 18 June 2025 between 9:00am – 5:00pm

July:

  • Safeguarding & Protecting Children: Wednesday 9 July 2025 between 6:00 – 9:00pm
  • First Aid Course: Tuesday 15 July 2025 9:30am – 4:00pm

Online Courses

  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training
  • Unconscious Bias 

Why Join?

  • Learn from experienced instructors
  • Gain recognised certifications
  • Build your CV and confidence
  • Affordable or fully funded training options
  • Connect with the wider ActiveWestminster Network C

Spaces are limited and fill up fast, so don’t miss out!

Let this summer be the start of something great. Invest in yourself with ActiveWestminster Foundation Training. Find out more about our Skills and Training Programme and Bursary Offer.

Get All the Details and Book

Celebrate World Bicycle Day with ActiveWestminster: Ride Towards Better Health and a Greener City

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Celebrate World Bicycle Day with ActiveWestminster: Ride Towards Better Health and a Greener City

Tuesday 3rd June is World Bicycle Day – a global celebration of cycling and its power to transform lives and communities. At ActiveWestminster, we’re proud to support and promote cycling across the City of Westminster, encouraging residents and visitors of all ages to discover the many benefits of life on two wheels.

Why Cycle?

Cycling isn’t just a fun and sustainable way to get around – it’s also a powerful tool for improving both physical and mental health. Regular cycling can:

  • Boost cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength
  • Improve joint mobility and coordination
  • Help maintain a healthy weight
  • Reduce stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression
  • Enhance overall wellbeing and mental clarity

Whether it’s a quick ride to work, a leisurely weekend cycle through one of our parks, or a family outing, getting on your bike can do wonders for your body and mind.

Get Involved with Cycling in Westminster

ActiveWestminster offers a range of free, fun and inclusive cycling activities throughout the year. From beginner cycling sessions to guided rides and maintenance workshops, there are so many ways to get involved.

This World Bicycle Day, why not take the opportunity to hop on your bike, embrace the freedom of cycling, and ride towards a healthier, happier you? Let’s keep Westminster moving – sustainably and actively.

Discover Cycling in Westminster

Westminster Gets Rolling For The London Cycling Festival!

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Westminster Gets Rolling For The London Cycling Festival!

Free, fun and family-friendly cycling events across Westminster – Sunday 25 May

The London Cycling Festival rolls into town on Sunday 25 May, and Westminster is ready to ride! Organised by the Zero Emissions Network and London Cycling Campaign, the festival celebrates cycling with free activities, led rides and bike hire offers for all ages.

Ready to ride?

Join us from 11am to 4pm at local hubs including Queen’s Park Gardens, Church Street, Sussex Gardens and Soho. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just starting out, there’s something for everyone – especially families and new riders. 

  • Led rides through Westminster
  • Free Santander Cycles & Lime bike codes
  • Explore your neighbourhood on two wheels

Keep pedalling all year round

ActiveWestminster offers a range of free, fun and inclusive cycling activities throughout the year. From beginner cycling sessions to guided rides and maintenance workshops, there’s always something to get involved in.

Cycle. Connect. Celebrate.

Join a Ride Near You

Let It Grow: Westminster Embraces No Mow May

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Let it Grow. Westminster Embraces No Mow May 2025

Unlocking urban biodiversity

This May, Westminster City Council is once again participating in Plantlife’s No Mow May campaign, encouraging residents and visitors to let grass and wildflowers flourish across the city. By pausing mowing in selected parks, green spaces, and all housing estates, the council aims to support pollinators like bees and butterflies, which rely on wildflowers for food. This initiative is part of Westminster’s broader commitment to enhancing urban biodiversity and creating a greener city for all

The benefits to Nature

  • Boost Pollinator Populations: Allowing lawns to grow can nearly double butterfly numbers in rural areas and increase them by 18% in urban settings.

  • Enhance Biodiversity: Longer grass supports a variety of wildlife, offering breeding grounds and shelter for insects, birds, and small mammals.

  • Promote Sustainable Gardening: Embracing a more natural lawn reduces maintenance efforts and supports environmental sustainability

Participating Areas include:

  • Sussex Gardens
  • Westbourne Green Open Space
  • Paddington Green
  • St John’s Wood Church Gardens (selected areas)
  • Paddington Recreation Ground
  • Ministry of Defence section by the wall
  • St George’s Square (selected area)
  • Berkeley Square
  • Victoria Tower Gardens

Join the movement—lock up your lawnmower this May and let nature take the lead. Discover how you can participate by following the link below.

More on No Mow May

Play Streets Are Coming to Westminster! See Which Streets Made the Cut

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Play Streets Are Coming to Westminster! See Which Streets Made the Cut

Thanks to your feedback, three new Play Streets are officially on the way—creating safer, more vibrant spaces where children can play freely and neighbours can come together.

Opening up our streets for play isn’t just about fun. It helps build stronger communities, encourages active lifestyles, and fosters a deeper sense of belonging for everyone.

After reviewing resident feedback and assessing the potential of eight proposed sites, Westminster City Council is excited to confirm that the following Play Streets will be moving ahead:

  • Ashmore Road (Northern section, Queens Park ward)

  • Kilravock Street (Queens Park ward)

  • Northumberland Place (Bayswater ward)

These locations were chosen based on strong community interest, the ability of local residents to help activate the spaces, and previous successful Street Play activity.

Find out more and read the full ‘You Said, We Did’ summary report

Read the Full Summary Report
play street 2

What’s Next?

  • Northumberland Place: Works begin in May and are expected to finish by July.

  • Ashmore Road & Kilravock Street: Implementation starts in July, aiming for completion in August.

We’ll keep you updated with exact timelines as work progresses.

Let’s keep building a more playful, connected Westminster—together!

Discover how Active Streets are transforming your neighbourhoods

Active Streets

Change4Life Westminster – Your Health Journey Starts Here

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Change4Life Westminster - Your Health Journey Starts Here

Are you ready to make a positive change for your health and wellbeing? The Change4Life Service in Westminster offers a range of free, local support and expert advice to help you live a healthier lifestyle. Whether you’re looking to improve your diet, manage your weight, get more active, or simply feel better in your day-to-day life, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Everyone’s health journey is unique. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, boost your fitness, or simply learn more about maintaining a balanced lifestyle, we are here to help. Westminster’s Change4Life Service is available to everyone—no matter where you’re starting from.

Change4Life in Westminster

The Change4Life service aims to ensure that children, young people and families across Westminster are supported to be healthy and happy in the communities where they live, learn and play. The Change4Life service is here to support expectant parents, children and young people aged 0-19, or 25 for young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), and their families to eat well and keep active.

The Change4Life Service provides you with a comprehensive toolkit of resources, including:

  • Personalised weight management: Tailored plans to help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Healthy eating advice: Nutritional tips and practical support to make healthier food choices.
  • Physical activity support: Find the best ways to stay active at your own pace and ability.
  • Mental wellbeing resources: Support for maintaining a healthy mind alongside a healthy body.
  • Individualised support: Receive personalised advice from our experienced health coaches who will help you set achievable goals.
  • Workshops and events: Participate in local workshops, group activities, and educational events to boost your knowledge and confidence.
  • Online resources: Access a wealth of online tools and materials designed to help you make sustainable, long-term changes.
  • Local connections: Connect with a supportive community of individuals and resources in Westminster to stay motivated and inspired.

Start your transformation today by accessing our free services. It’s never too late to make a change, and we’ll be with you every step of the way.

Change4Life Clubs Coming Up!

Get started with the  a range of healthy lifestyle clubs providing six-week programmes for expectant parents, children, young people and families.

Change4Life young people's club - Feathers Marylebone
Change4Life Club 5-11 St Luke's
Start4Life Online
Mini Club 0-12 Months - WCC Pimlico Library Jan-Feb (1)

Get Started Now!

Click below to find out more about how Westminster’s Change4Life Service can support you.

Learn More