Children across Sefton have been putting their best foot forward by making an incredible 15,500 ‘car free’ journeys to and from school.
Children across Sefton have been putting their best foot forward by making an incredible 15,500 ‘car free’ journeys to and from school.
Primary school pupils across the Borough were challenged to use the recent Autumn term to walk more to and from school as part of the national WOW Walk To School Challenge.
The month-long challenge was hosted by the Living Streets Charity, which was set up to encourage more active and healthy forms of travel across communities.
Teachers recorded that pupils across primary schools in Sefton completed an impressive 15,580 journeys to and from school without using a car in October.
These journeys were completed by walking or ‘wheeling’ to school on a bike or scooter.
Pupils at Forefield Community Infant and Nursery School topped the table for the highest number of individual journeys per school, closely followed by Christ Church CofE Primary and Springwell Park Primary.
Cllr Diane Roscoe, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “Nearly 800 pupils a day throughout October walking, cycling and scooting their way to school is a fantastic achievement.
“I want to thank all of our schools that took part in the challenge. By encouraging our youngest generations to discover the unlimited benefits of active travel and ending a reliance on the car is ultimately going to have a greater impact on our communities’ future health and wellbeing.
“Active Travel schemes are vital, not only for our health and wellbeing, but also for contributing massively to combatting the effects of climate change.
“We will continue to work with schools, parents and our communities to make journeys to school easier, safer and more enjoyable”
For more information about the Living Streets Walk to School challenge and more visit www.livingstreets.org.uk