Project EDWARD has announced the decision to drop the annual week of action in favour of a strategically-planned annual programme of activity.
The new plan will involve members of the EDWARD team working with key partners to agree a year-round schedule of live events, symposiums, webinars, discussions, podcast episodes and online activity.
Project EDWARD will be saying goodbye to Darren Lindsey in March, as he moves to a new role in the tyre industry.
James Luckhurst, founder of Project EDWARD, says while news of Darren’s departure initially caused some concerns for the team, subsequent conversations with sponsors and partners have paved the way for a comprehensive appraisal of Project EDWARD’s role as a road safety initiative.
James Luckhurst said: “We will miss Darren’s dedication and wisdom greatly as we plan and deliver the next steps for EDWARD.
“But we have long wanted EDWARD’s actions to resonate year round, rather than condensing so much good practice into one short week. So we are effectively bringing forward a plan that had always been there.
“A brand new plan, aligned with the broader road safety calendar, will be published at the end of February to cover the period April 2024 to March 2025. We are in the process of explaining our decision to partners, after which we will share details of the 2024-25 programme.”
Each event included in the programme will have its own detailed plan, in which the EDWARD team will collaborate closely with organisers to focus on:
- themes, topics and content relevant for specific audiences
- proactive communications
- specific outputs and deliverables
- professional video and audio podcast production and distribution
- effective post-event evaluation
Supporting this will be innovative monthly communication focusing on developments in the Safe System and the principles of Vision Zero.
James Luckhurst added: “May I take this opportunity to wish Darren well. We hope he will always feel part of the wider Project EDWARD family and we look forward to maintaining close contact in his new role.
“We are excited to be taking this step. It might have come a bit earlier than we were expecting, but we believe it to be the best way Project EDWARD can support efforts across the country to reduce death and serious injury on our roads and to deliver on the principles of the Safe System.”
The new plan and programme of activity will be published on Thursday 29 February.
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