Encouraging more walking to and from school
Our Safer Travel Team have partnered with Living Streets, the UK's national charity for everyday walking, to provide a range of tools for teachers and parents to help increase the preference of walking to school as an everyday journey choice.
The charity's mission began over ninety years ago, when their campaigning led to the UK's first zebra crossings and speed limits. Now, their campaigns and local projects look to effect change by supporting ways to overcome barriers to walking and encouraging people to walk more.
WOW year-round walk to school challenge
The WOW challenge encourages children and their families to walk to school at least once a week, logging their daily travel on the WOW Travel Tracker. Those who do this for a month are rewarded with a WOW badge at school. Eleven badges are available to collect every school year.
The WOW challenge can also support working towards achieving your Modeshift STARS travel plan national accreditation. By taking part, you can gain points for undertaking a variety of activities such as encouraging Park and Stride or undertaking an anti-idling activity.
This guide will show you which of the Modeshift STARS initiatives you can tick off with WOW challenge. And if your school uses the WOW Travel Tracker, you can also opt-in to sharing the data with Modeshift, rather than completing an additional travel survey.
Next Steps walk to school challenge
We have several activities to engage a secondary student audience, specifically those who are transitioning to secondary school from year 6 to year 7. Our projects help to influence journey choices, motivate students to walk more, and appreciate the health and wellbeing benefits of walking.
At secondary school, the majority of children begin making their daily school journey alone. In fact, 37% of students travel independently, so having road safety skills is vitally important. Next Steps encourages students to discuss and think about their new journey with their parents and carers and suggests trying the route to school during summer holidays to ensure new students are prepared and safe.
Students in any setting can also be supported to deliver student-led campaigns and activities including promotional events and walking challenges.
More information and contact details can be found on the Living Streets website.
