Bid to get more kids walking (From This is Hampshire)

Bid to get more kids walking

2:26pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in Andover

HAMPSHIRE County Council is working with the national charity Living Streets to encourage more school pupils to walk part or all of the way to and from school.

Based on the countrywide Walk to School campaigns, two specialists from the charity will be working, over three years, with primary and secondary schools in Hampshire to encourage them to revisit and update their school travel plans, and to take up Living Streets’ initiatives aimed at motivating more parents and pupils to walk to school.

The package of measures it can offer includes its successful WoW (Walk Once A Week) campaign for primary schools, and Free your Feet or Campaign in a Box interventions for secondary schools.

A number of schools will also benefit from intensive support to identify and tackle barriers to walking, as well as to promote walking to school and its benefits.

On behalf of the county council, the Living Streets officers will work with 122 primary schools and 26 secondary schools over the next three years.

Councillor Mel Kendal, the county council’s deputy leader and executive member for Environment and Transport, said: “In the UK, over half of primary school children do not walk to school regularly.

“Leaving the car at home can save people money, increase their level of physical activity and help to reduce congestion and carbon emissions.”