Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP for Edinburgh Western met pupils from Cramond Primary School yesterday (Wednesday 29 March) to learn about their walk to school.
Cramond Primary School is taking part in WOW – the walk to school challenge from charity Living Streets Scotland. The MSP was joined by Councillors Normal Work and Lewis Younie.
WOW sees pupils record how they get to school using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker with those who walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ to school being awarded a monthly WOW badge.
WOW schools see on average a 13 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.
Living Streets Scotland is delivering Active Travel Playground Games sessions to the pupils, during the Spring term. Completed over the course of two days, every pupil has the opportunity to participate in fun and interactive activities and learn more about the benefits of active travel for themselves and the environment.
Scotland’s Active Nation Commissioner, local government leaders and transport experts will come together this morning to discuss how to get more children in Scotland walking to school at Living Streets Scotland’s Walking Summit.
Currently just over half of pupils (51%) travel to school in an active way – either walking, scooting or cycling – with 23 per cent being driven the whole way.
However, in schools that run WOW – the year-round walk to school initiative from Living Streets Scotland, that nearly halves, with just 12 per cent being driven the whole way to school.
The Scotland Walking Summit will look at how to engage more schools and local authorities with behaviour change initiatives, such as WOW, along with wider changes that need to be made to allow children to travel to school in healthier and more sustainable ways, including initiatives such as School Streets, play streets, and Spaces for People.
Joining Lee Craigie, Scotland’s Active Nation Commissioner, will be Councillor Anna Richardson (Glasgow City Council), Professor Alison Stenning (Newcastle University and PlayMeetStreet North Tyneside) and former UK Shadow Transport Secretary and Living Streets’ Chief Executive, Mary Creagh, amongst others.
Stuart Hay, Director, Living Streets Scotland said:“With pupils now back at school, continuing to enable families to choose healthy ways to make the journey there will be an important part of ensuring roads aren’t overwhelmed with cars.
“We know from our work with schools across Scotland that families are put off walking to school by traffic, road danger and air pollution. Our Walking Summit is chance to come together and talk about how we can remove these barriers so more families can experience the benefits and joy of walking to school.”
Programme
09:30 – 10:00: optional networking time
10:00 – 10:10: welcome and introduction
10:10 – 11:10: the joy of moving to school – with Lee Craigie, Scotland’s Active Nation Commissioner, Chris Thompson, Living Streets Scotland, Fiona Paterson, Daily Mile Nation.
11:30 – 12:25: spaces for young people – with Councillor Anna Richardson (Glasgow City Council), Janet Macdonald (Moray Council) and Professor Alison Stenning (Newcastle University).
