Burnley pupils celebrate leading the way in national walking initiative

Freestyle footballer and Guinness World Record holder Ash Randall joined pupils in Burnley as they celebrated reaching the top of a national leaderboard for children making strides to walk or wheel to school. 

Stoneyholme Community Primary School has topped the WOW Top Ten leaderboard for February 2025 for the third consecutive academic term.

WOW - the walk to school challenge from charity Living Streets sees pupils record how they get to school, with those who walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ to school being awarded a monthly badge.

The WOW Top Ten increases walking rates at schools and encourages pupils to get involved in active travel. With challenges scattered across the school year, WOW Top Ten supports pupils’ health and wellbeing while reducing congestion and pollution around the school gates.

This term, pupils at Stoneyholme Community Primary School took part in the spring WOW Top Ten which asked them to walk to school as many times as possible during February.

Ash Randall, freestyle footballer, shows off his moves to Stoneyholme pupils.

In England, 49 per cent of 5–10-year-olds normally walk to school. However, 67 per cent of journeys recorded on the interactive WOW Travel Tracker by pupils at Stoneyholme Community Primary School during February were walked or wheeled. Driving rates plummeted with just 0.5 per cent of journeys being car trips all the way to the school gates, down from the school’s baseline of 39 per cent.

Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: 

“Congratulations to pupils from Stoneyholme Community Primary School for making it into the WOW Top Ten. Walking and wheeling to school keeps us fit, healthy and happy – and it reduces congestion, air pollution and road danger outside the school gates.

“It’s great that pupils at Stoneyholme Community Primary School are benefitting from walking to school. I’m sure that they’ll inspire other children and their families to follow in their footsteps.”

Ash Randall, freestyle footballer and Guinness World Record holder, said:

“The visit at Stoneyholme was absolutely fab! It was lovely to celebrate the achievement they have accomplished through the WOW Living Streets Programme. We had a great day with Strider and the children were really engaged,  learnt new tricks and skills and everyone was involved in the celebrations.

“I am sure Stoneyholme can keep it up and keep promoting the benefits of walking to school.” 

Susan Cock, WOW Coordinator from Stoneyholme Community Primary School, said:

"We are extremely proud of our children’s achievement in now topping the WOW Top Ten for the third term running. Our pupils enjoy taking part in the WOW challenges, tracking their class and our school position on the leaderboards and look forward to receiving their badges throughout the year. It’s been great to celebrate their hard work today with a special certificate from Strider and Simon from Living Streets, along with a visit from Ash Randall, freestyle footballer and Guinness World Record Holder. 

“WOW has also helped to reduce traffic at the start of the day around our school roads and we would like to send a huge thank you to our parents for their support and everyone involved in helping to make today an amazing day and the walk to school cleaner, happier and safer for our children.”