Heidi Alexander MP joins Swindon pupils to celebrate their success
The Rt Hon. Heidi Alexander MP recently joined pupils from the primary school she formerly attended in her Swindon South constituency to celebrate the steps they are taking to get more active.
Lainesmead Primary School 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.
Nationally, just 49 per cent of 5-10-year-olds currently walk to school . However, despite only starting WOW in February 2025, walking rates at Lainesmead Primary School have increased by 9 per cent, with pupils being driven to school 13 per cent less than before they started WOW this year.
The Rt Hon. Heidi Alexander MP for Swindon South heard from pupils about the benefits of walking to school, from being healthier and talking to friends to helping protect the environment.
The Rt Hon. Heidi Alexander, Member of Parliament for Swindon South, said:
“It was an honour to attend this special event at Lainesmead Primary School, the school I attended as a child.
“Our children deserve the best start in life and helping them build activity into their everyday life is a big part of that.
“Programmes like WOW make such a positive difference to pupils’ wellbeing and safety – from reducing pollution outside the school gates to finding it easier to concentrate in the classroom.
“Well done to pupils and teachers at Lainesmead Primary School for making such an impressive effort to travel to school in healthier, more sustainable ways.”
Alyssia Mepstead, Head Teacher, Lainesmead Primary School said:
“We are already seeing the positive impact of this project – last year, Lainesmead was named the most improved school in the local area for walking to school. More families are leaving their cars at home or parking further away and walking the last few minutes, and our children are proud to wear their walking badges each month. These small changes add up to cleaner air, healthier children and a calmer, safer school environment.
“The health and wellbeing benefits of walking to school are clear, but for us, this project has always been about more than just exercise. It is about safety, community and the kind of environment we want our children to grow up in.”
Cllr Chris Watts, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, Swindon Borough Council said:
“Initiatives such as WOW – the walk to school challenge are really important to help encourage Swindon’s pupils to walk to school.
“It teaches vital road safety skills and promotes healthy lifestyles. Lainesmead School has put in a tremendous effort and we’d like to see more Swindon schools getting involved in travel plans to create a safer and enjoyable trip to school.”
Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive, Living Streets said:
“It’s fantastic that the Rt Hon. Heidi Alexander MP could join us to see the great strides pupils in her former primary school are making to get more active on the journey to school.
“Everyone at Lainesmead Primary School should be proud knowing that their actions are helping to reduce road danger and air pollution. We hope that the visit from Heidi encourages them to keep up the wonderful work.”