A scheme that
encourages families to ditch the car and walk their children to
school at least once a week will receive an £800,000 boost from
the Government, Public Health Minister Gillian Merron will
announce today.
The ‘Walk Once a Week’ scheme run by the Living Streets charity,
rewards children who walk to school one day a week with a
collectable metal badge for each month they take part.
The £800,000 funding will be used to expand the scheme to at
least 900 more schools with a focus on the West Midlands, Greater
Manchester, Merseyside, and Tyne and Wear, where there are higher
numbers of overweight and obese children.
The scheme, which has been running for six years and operates in
every London borough, has been an overwhelming success so far.
Fifty-nine per cent of girls and sixty per cent of boys in
participating schools take part in the scheme and walk to school
at least one day a week.
Speaking at George Spicer Primary School in Enfield, where pupils
are taking part in the scheme, Public Health Minister Gillian
Merron said:
“Ditching the car and walking to school is an easy way for
children and parents to be more active.
“Living Street’s ‘Walk Once A Week’ scheme is doing a great job
at helping families get out and about by foot. The £800,000 of
Government funding I am announcing today will mean even more kids
can get active on their way to school. By walking the journey to
school it can count towards the 60 active minutes children need
every day and the 30 minutes mums and dads should get five times a week
“The scheme supports the Government’s Walk4Life campaign, part of
our national Change4Life movement helping families to ‘eat well,
move more and live longer’.”
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets said:
“Increasing activity levels and reducing the risk of obesity is
one of the major priorities for anyone involved in children’s
health or education today. But it’s often hard to know what
actually works, and what to prioritise from tight budgets.
“The Walk Once a Week Scheme is such a simple idea and so easy to
implement – we hope that schools and local authorities up and down
the country will get involved, and get more children up and down
the country walking.
“We are very excited that the Department of Health has recognised
the value of Walk Once a Week in the fight against obesity, and we
look forward to working with them to reach more children in
priority areas.
“Walking to school is one of the best ways to get everyday
activity into families’ lives- good for health, and making a
positive difference in reducing congestion, pollution and carbon.
It’s also a great way to spend real quality time with your
children. Every school can take part in Walk Once a Week - we want
even more children and families to take part this year. Details of
how to get involved can be found on our website.”
Notes to Editors
For media enquiries only please contact the Department of Health
newsdesk on 020 7210 5221
The Walk Once a Week scheme is run by the national charity
Living Streets. It is part of their wider work to create safe,
attractive and enjoyable streets, where people want to walk. For
more information about Living Streets and the Walk Once a Week
scheme please contact Anna Powell on 020 7377 4914 or visit
http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/
The Chief Medical Officer recommends that children do 60 minutes
of physical activity every day and that adults do 30 minutes, five
days a week.
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk