BackWalk to Work Week shortlisted for award
National charity Living Streets’ Walk to Work Week has been shortlisted for the Marketing and Communications Campaign of the Year, in the Smarter Travel Awards 2010.
Walk to Work Week is a national event aimed at encouraging 21 to 40-year-old office-based workers to try and get out on foot during their walking week. Part of Living Streets’ Walking Works programme, Walk to Work Week aims to raise the profile of walking as an active travel choice for employees, encouraging them to walk more during the event and beyond.
The importance of the campaign is supported by latest figures, which show that 61% of people are overweigh or obese and a fifth of people exercise once a month or less. By encouraging office-based workers to walk all or part of the journey to or from work, or to take a stroll at lunchtime, the Walk to Work Week campaign supports employees to increase their fitness levels and meet the target recommended by the Chief Medical Officer of 30 minutes exercise each day.
Walk to Work Week campaign
Walk to Work Week was delivered online through a micro site at www.walkingworks.org.uk/walk-to-work-week. People were asked to make a pledge to take part, then do one or more of the following five challenges:
· Walk all or part of the way to work
· Walk all or part of the way from work
· Hold a walking meeting
· Walk to a meeting
· Go for a lunch time walk
Participants could visit the site to upload details of their walking activities and monitor their achievements over the course of the Week. People could also link their profile to workplace profiles, so that they could see how their organisation was performing as a whole. This encouraged healthy competition amongst colleagues and allowed people to compare their performance against others’ nationally.
Walk to Work Week achievements
We’re proud to report that the campaign achieved its target of having 10,000 people register for the event online and getting 20 London Boroughs involved.
· A total distance of 71,602 miles was walked
· 10, 032 individuals took part, including 3,139 people from London
· 725 workplaces got walking, including 213 from London
· 31 London Boroughs got involved
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets notes,
“The success of the Walk to Work Week campaign is its simplicity. Walking is something everyone can do, and it isn’t painful or costly. We encourage workers to do something that’s easy –stepping outside for a walking meeting, or getting off a few bus stops earlier than usual. Walking doesn’t only improve your physical health, it’s also a chance to plan the day ahead, or to unwind after it.”
To find out more about Walk to Work Week visit www.walkingworks.org.uk/walk-to-work-week-2010.
Living Streets' national Walking Works campaign is part of a portfolio of projects being delivered by a consortium of the leading walking, cycling and health organisations and funded through the Big Lottery Fund's Wellbeing Programme.
The Smarter Travel Awards
Run by Transport for London, the Smarter Travel Awards reward excellence to organisations and individuals who work tirelessly to promote sustainable transport across the capital. The awards ceremony will be held on 24 June at the London Transport Museum.
For more information about the awards, visit www.smartertravelawards.org.uk.
Published on: 22/06/2010
