Walk To School!

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

Almost 5,000 children across 26 schools within Neath Port Talbot are attempting to walk one billion steps within 50 days from the 8th May till the 21st July 2006.

The initiative entitled ‘1 Billion Steps to School’ is part of an ongoing project undertaken by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council’s Road Safety Unit known as Safe Routes to School.

The Safe Routes to School project aims to improve safety on the school journey, raise awareness of travel issues and reduce the high level of car trips made by parents through the promotion of walking and cycling.

As part of the ‘1 Billion Steps to School’ initiative each child has been issued with a pedometer and a walking diary to record how many steps they take each day on the journeys to and from school. The initiative aims to directly raise awareness of the road safety, ecological and health issues surrounding travel decisions of children at a young age, in the hope that changes in travel patterns and lifestyles can be taken on by them into their adult lives.

Each of the 26 schools has been given an individual target based on the number of pupils on role at the school, the total if achieved would be 1,000,000,000 steps or the equivalent of half a million kilometres.

Cabinet member for Streetcare and Highway Services, Peter Rees stated “ I am delighted with the response from our school pupils who have risen admirably to the billion steps challenge. The serious message behind this fun campaign is to encourage parents and guardians to park away from the immediate vicinity of the school or leave the car at home in the interest of child safety. I sincerely hope that this new approach will enthuse both parents and pupils alike and start them on a more sustained approach to the school journey.”

The media launch for this initiative was held on the 18th May at the Gnoll Rugby Ground Neath where 500 children from the participating schools engaged in song and dance routines with Henson Hedgehog, the Road Safety Mascot. Following this the pupils staged a balloon launch, to symbolise that they are rising to the challenge posed by the scheme.

Number of Schools within LEA:	84
LEA Contact:	Laurence Darley
Contact Email Address:	l.darley@hotmail.com
LEA Website	www.npt.gov.uk

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