Shropshire children get arty this National Walk to School Week
Children across Shropshire will be saying goodbye to the school run and striding out for National Walk to School Week (Monday 16 – Friday 20 May 2011).
Shropshire Council is supporting Walk to School Week this year by providing schools with two creative challenges.
The theme this year is Walk Smart, focussing on how walking to school helps children learn vital orientating skills to help them navigate and get to know their local area, improving confidence and safety.
Schools have been challenged to design a Walk to School mural capturing in pictures and photographs interesting things children have witnessed on their walk or bike to school during the week. Children can also enter a ‘design a sticker’ competition based on the Walk Smart theme. A selection of the most eyecatching design entries will be added to the council’s school travel webpages and the best sticker design will be made into a sticker to be used in a future Shropshire Walk to School campaign.
Councillor Martin Taylor-Smith, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for transport, said:
“Walking to school is an ideal way for children to keep fit and healthy.
“As well as the health benefits it also means less traffic on the roads, resulting in less congestion and pollution and less money spent on petrol by parents.”
Ray Hughes, School Travel Plan Co-ordinator, said:
“Children tell us how they like meeting their friends on their walk to school, the neighbours they pass and the lovely countryside and wildlife they witness. We look forward to seeing some of these interesting sights captured in their murals.”
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets, said:
“Walking to school is a brilliant way to get some physical activity and some fresh air into your day. When children are bundled from front door to car door, they miss out on the opportunity to socialise with friends, get to know their community, and burn off some energy before getting their heads down in the books.
“If we are to avoid the Government’s prediction of a quarter of our children being obese by 2050, we need to start making changes to our lifestyle now. We would love those who normally drive to use National Walking Month as an excuse to try walking, at least part of the way. We think you’ll be amazed at how enjoyable a regular walk can be; a chance to spend real quality time together, and reap health rewards for all the family.”
Some additional activities in the Week at Shrewsbury schools include a Car Free Challenge at Belvidere School, and ‘park and stride’ promotions at Meole Brace Primary School and Woodfield Infant School, thanking those who park away from the school keeping it quieter and safer around the school gates.
More about the national Walk to School campaign
The Walk to School campaign encourages primary schoolpupils, parents and staff to incorporate regular physical activity into their daily lives by walking to and from school wherever possible.
Living Streets is the charity championing National Walking Month – a time for people to reclaim their streets and walk to work, school and their local services. Walk England is the social enterprise partnering with Living Streets to support National Walking Month.
Over the past two decades, the number of children walking to school has dramatically dropped from 62% to 50%. 42% of children are driven to school in cars, despite the fact that the majority of primary school children live within a 20 minute walk of their school. 38% of Shropshire’s primary age children travel by car, with one in four living within half a mile of school.
