Date published 20 October 2009
Share
The ‘Walk to School’ campaign organised by the charity Living Streets, will see children from across the UK and in over 40 countries worldwide celebrate the benefits of walking to school and encouraging children to engage in more physical activity in the month of October.
Marshalls has helped children from Old Earth Primary School in Elland take part in the campaign called ‘Count me in’ which is encouraging children to measure how much physical activity they do during the day. The focus is on measuring the walk to school, and demonstrating how easy it is to reach the recommended daily 60 minutes of moderate physical activity when walking to school is included.
Marshalls has already donated their PlayPave safety surfacing to the school along with chessboard paving, a pathway around the school grounds and installed a wooden trim-trail - all to encourage the benefits of physical activity and social interaction.
Diane Kay, Marshalls Commercial PR Manager said: “Walking to school is a brilliant way to get more physical activity and 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 to study. Marshalls has a long history of supporting the communities in which it operates throughout the UK and we are particularly pleased to be supporting Living Streets’ Walk to School Campaign throughout October.”
Walking to school regularly is a fantastic way to reach the recommended daily 60 minutes of activity to benefit their health. Around half of children currently don’t walk to school regularly, with an enormous 41% being driven to school in cars, despite the fact that the average distance to primary schools remains around one mile. By encouraging families to ditch the car keys and get to school on foot, this Month will show that it’s not just PE lessons that are needed to give children the healthiest start in life - it’s how active they are in their daily life that really matters.
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets said “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 everyone who normally drives the school run to use this month as an excuse to try walking. 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.”
Marshalls has helped children from Old Earth Primary School in Elland take part in the campaign called ‘Count me in’ which is encouraging children to measure how much physical activity they do during the day. The focus is on measuring the walk to school, and demonstrating how easy it is to reach the recommended daily 60 minutes of moderate physical activity when walking to school is included.
Marshalls has already donated their PlayPave safety surfacing to the school along with chessboard paving, a pathway around the school grounds and installed a wooden trim-trail - all to encourage the benefits of physical activity and social interaction.
Diane Kay, Marshalls Commercial PR Manager said: “Walking to school is a brilliant way to get more physical activity and 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 to study. Marshalls has a long history of supporting the communities in which it operates throughout the UK and we are particularly pleased to be supporting Living Streets’ Walk to School Campaign throughout October.”
Walking to school regularly is a fantastic way to reach the recommended daily 60 minutes of activity to benefit their health. Around half of children currently don’t walk to school regularly, with an enormous 41% being driven to school in cars, despite the fact that the average distance to primary schools remains around one mile. By encouraging families to ditch the car keys and get to school on foot, this Month will show that it’s not just PE lessons that are needed to give children the healthiest start in life - it’s how active they are in their daily life that really matters.
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets said “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 everyone who normally drives the school run to use this month as an excuse to try walking. 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.”