Doncaster pupils celebrate success with special guests

Ed Miliband MP and Ed Clancy OBE joined pupils at Copley Juniors in Doncaster to celebrate the strides the pupils have been taking to get more active on the journey to school (Friday 22 May). 

Pupils at Copley Juniors joined over 170 schools across South Yorkshire to take part in the Mayor’s Walk and Wheel Challenge in collaboration with Living Streets’ national Walk to School Week (18-22 May). The five-day challenge aims to get children moving, cut traffic at the school gates and help families build healthier, more active routines. 

Copley Juniors also takes part in WOW – the walk to school challenge from charity Living Streets. 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. 

Only 51 per cent of children aged 5–10-year-olds in England normally walk to school, down from 70 per cent in the 1970s, with 42 per cent being driven.  However, schools taking part in WOW are bucking the trend. Since Copley Juniors started taking part in WOW, the number of journeys driven all the way to school gate has dropped from 52 per cent to 26 per cent. 

Ed Miliband and Ed Clancy spoke to pupils about the benefits they are experiencing from getting active on the journey to school. 

Rt Hon Ed Miliband, MP for Doncaster North said: 

"It was wonderful to join pupils at Copley Junior School alongside Ed Clancy OBE to hear firsthand about their experiences of the Mayor's Walk and Wheel Challenge. The pupils were very excited about making active travel part of their journey to school, and we also spoke about the barriers that can prevent them from walking or cycling to school.
 
“The WOW project is something I care deeply about, and I have been working closely with Living Streets and SYMCA to drive it forward. I firmly believe that every child and family should have the opportunity to build healthy, active habits into their morning routine, and most importantly, that we make sure the journey to school is a safe one."

Strider - the Living Streets' mascot with Copley Junior pupils
Ed Miliband and Ed Clancy with Living Streets' mascot, Strider

Ed Clancy OBE, South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner said:

“It’s fantastic to see Copley Juniors leading the way in the Mayor’s Walk and Wheel Challenge.

“Pupils here are showing that small changes can make a real difference - moving more and differently and arriving at school ready to learn.

“At its heart, this is about giving families freedom and choice to feel safe and confident to travel in ways that work for them. Making walking, wheeling and cycling a normal, everyday option and creating healthier, happier neighbourhoods for everyone.”

Jim Shaw, Project Coordinator (South Yorkshire), Living Streets said:

"Pupils at Copley Juniors are a massive inspiration to others thinking about changing up how they travel to school. During the spring term, they were in the top 10 per cent of schools on our national WOW leaderboard. It’s been great having Ed Miliband and Ed Clancy join us to celebrate the fantastic progress they have made.”