Walk to School Month 2008 - in action
A third of local authorities took part in Walk to School Month during October 2008, reaching thousands of schools and encouraging over half a million children to 'Power up' on their walk to school. Here are just some of the things that the National Walk to School campaign and its supporters achieved this year:Couch potato parents - new research launched
Living Streets released startling new research at the start of Walk to School Month which found that there is a direct link between how parents behave, and whether their children walk to school. Read the full story here.
Living Streets Chief Executive Tony Armstrong gave a series of local and national radio interviews about the new research. Tony was joined by Rosie Swale-Pope who is supporting the month. Rosie has recently walked round the world, so is in a unique position to tell us all about the fun you can have while walking!
Find out more about Rosie's journey on her website.
In the media
Over Walk to School Month 2008 generated lots of media coverage about the issue of walking to school. Read the stories in our media centre.
Celebrity support
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Sally Gunnell is a former Olympic athlete, so knows the value of everyday exercise. Sally says:
''Keeping fit and healthy is so important, especially for children. If we teach young people how to lead active lifestyles, they will carry it into adulthood and hopefully onto their own children. As a parent, I know how busy life can get and how easy it is to pile everyone into the car! That’s why I’m supporting Walk to School Month - it reminds us about something that is so obvious we sometimes forget to do it: walk with your kids! It’s a great way to get regular exercise into your family’s day, you will do your bit for the environment and perhaps you’ll get to know people in your community too''
Read what others have to say about the month.
What is new for Walk to School Month?
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The Co-operative Group launched a £100,000 project to enable 100 schools from across the country to set up their own Walking Bus scheme – a safe, fun and healthy way for pupils to walk to school with adult volunteers, picking up children at specific stops along the way. The project kick-started in October as part of Walk to School Month.
Schools who take part in the initiative will receive high visibility safety bibs and snap bands, produced by UK social enterprise Brightkidz, for the children and adult volunteers to wear all year round. Schools will also receive promotional banners and posters to promote their scheme.
What have schools around the UK been doing?
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, in Seaforth
A Liverpool teacher walked 10 miles to school to prove a point to his class. Read more here.
Cambridgeshire County CouncilOn the 6 October, the start of Walk to School Month, 16,000 Cambridgeshire pupils powered up on their way to school! Little Thetford Primary School were especially lucky as students getting to school using the walking bus were met by Spike the Hedgehog who congratulated them on their efforts.
Five schools in the region also got to take part in interactive maths workshops combining the benefits of walking with mathematics! Students did hands-on puzzles, quizzes and activities on their journey to school and during the workshops, culminating in a new kind of kinetic learning!
Peterborough City Council31 primary schools are taking part in activities to raise awareness about the benefits of walking to school. One local school, Gunthorpe Primary, has secured funding from the Safer Journeys to School Project to improve their walkways in school and in the surrounding vicinities and have received a new cycling shed to promote all kinds of sustainable transport. During Walk to School Month, those walking to Gunthorpe are being encouraged to get to school by skipping using four different colours of skipping rope (which tie in with the theme of health because they represent the four major food groups!)
Schools in the London Borough of Southwark11 schools are taking part, including Herne Hill School who helped 52 year one pupils count their steps by running a pedometer challenge for a week. The rest of the school also took part, recording their modes of travel on wallcharts and rewarded by stickers.
Over at St Joseph's School in Rotherhithe, pupils from years 3 to 6 did a visual audit around their school, to see where it is safe to cross, and to look at pedestrian facilities. Their School Council also organised a talent show around walking to school, and the school has even tied Walk to School Week in with parents' evening, where they have devised a walking quiz for parents to do whilst waiting.
Schools in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea14 schools took part in the month, using the Power Up materials to get involved and being loaned official banners to advertise the occasion. 10 schools also received £200 to provide healthy breakfasts to pupils as part of the celebrations.
North Wiltshire & District CouncilNorth Wilts held their Walk to School Month in September, to fit with their 'Month of Action'. 7 schools were helped to organise events themselves and supplied with an Information Pack which included advice to pupils and parents on the benefits of walking to school (friendship, fitness, fun), certificates for participants and a 'power up' 5 day diary that encourages observation, highlights the Green Cross Code and requires minimum input from pupils to complete.
St Georges First School, DorsetThey set up a walking bus in July 2008 which is run by 2 teaching assistants with the support of CRB'd parents. The bus leaves from a farm nearby (Putlake Farm) and has considerably reduced the congestion of cars from the centre of the village and outside the school. Our school has about 100 children on its roll and between 20 - 50 children walk each day, sometimes joined by the community police! We'll be making a special effort during Walk to School Month!
100 students walk together in GloucestershireOn Wednesday 8th October Gloucestershire Highways School Travel Plan Team and Upton St. Leonards C. of E. Primary teamed up to launch International Walk to School Month. Over 100 pupils and their parents began the day's activities with a 'Park and Stride' from the village. Children were led on their walk to school by Olympic hammer thrower Zoe Derham as they waved brightly coloured flags from the International community.
Towards the end of school everyone joined together to celebrate a very successful day and heard from the pupil Eco Group that traffic had been halved that morning. Head teacher, Cottia Howard said ''This has been a great day that all the pupils and staff have thoroughly enjoyed and we would like to thank Gloucestershire County Council for this opportunity and their support''.
Read more about this great day in Gloucestershire here.
Tell us what you did! Email walktoschool@livingstreets.org.uk with details of your event.
Remember - Walk to School Week 2009 takes place 18 to 22 May 2009 and the theme will be 'walking together'. Register for our monthly e-newsletter and you will be kept up to date with information about the theme, national events, resource sales, and ideas for local events.
