Martin Whitfield MSP has joined pupils from schools in the Scottish Borders and other MSPs outside the Scottish Parliament to celebrate this year’s Walk to School Week.
Walk to School Week (15 to 19 May) is organised by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking as part of their National Walking Month campaign each May.
Families are encouraged to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ for the whole week to see the big differences that come from small steps, from healthier and happier children to fewer cars outside the school gates.
Over 250 schools in Scotland have signed up to receive special Walk to School Week packs from Living Streets, joining 356,000 pupils across the UK to learn about the important reasons to walk to school and the difference it can make to individuals, communities and the planet.
The charity is working with over 170 additional Scottish schools this academic year to deliver WOW – the walk to school challenge.
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. Pupils who travel actively at least once a week for a month are rewarded with a WOW badge.
WOW schools see on average a 5-10 per cent increase in pupils walking to school in Scotland with a corresponding drop in car use, helping to reduce congestion and increase safety outside the school gates.
Martin Whitfield MSP said:
“I have always been a strong supporter of Walk to School Week and other initiatives aimed at encouraging families to choose walking and other active travel options for getting to school.
“The Week is a perfect time for people to try alternatives to the car, with all the benefits this brings for health, the environment and safety, and I was pleased to support it again at Holyrood and meet the pupils from schools in the Borders.”
Stuart Hay, Director, Living Streets Scotland said:
“Walk to School Week is an excellent opportunity for families to give walking to school a go. Walking our short journeys helps us stay healthy, while reducing traffic, pollution and road danger on our local streets.
“We’re delighted that so many of our schools were able to join us to celebrate the great strides Scottish pupils are making to get more active and tackle the climate emergency.”
For more information about Walk to School Week visit www.livingstreets.org.uk/walk-to-school.