Wakefield pupils lead the way with Park and Stride

Pupils from Wakefield joined forces with Living Streets to launch a new initiative to inspire more families to walk and wheel to school (Wednesday 1 July).

A group of Wakefield schools enjoyed a community Park and Stride as part of Beat the Street, in partnership with Living Streets and Wakefield Council with support from Lidl.

Six of the schools take part in WOW – the walk to school challenge from Living Streets, which sees pupils record their journey to school on the interactive WOW Travel Tracker and rewards those who walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ to school with a WOW badge.

Pupils from Normanton Junior Academy School

Strider accompanied pupils from Wakefield on their community walk.

Park and Stride means that families that need to travel by car still have the chance to get active on the school run. By parking a ten-minute walk from school and completing their journey on foot, families can also reduce traffic, congestion and road danger around the school gates. Wakefield Council has recently introduced a Park and Stride option, situated at the Lidl car park on Altofts Road, so that more children in the area can benefit from regular exercise. Pupils were joined by Living Streets’ mascot Strider and Project Coordinator Kate Stokes.

Kate Stokes, Living Streets Project Coordinator, said:

“We’ve loved working in partnership with Wakefield Council to plan another fun and exciting Beat the Street. The council shares our commitment to walking and wheeling being at the heart of building healthier and more connected communities. 

“Living Streets has collaborated on effective school outreach in Normanton and Altofts to support as many families as possible to take part. And to continue to have long-term impact through things like our year-round walk to school challenge WOW, which shares the joy of travelling in active ways. We look forward to continuing our work with local communities through our projects."

Julie Russell, Director of Arts, Culture and Leisure at Wakefield Council said:

“Living Streets has been an invaluable partner in bringing Beat the Street to Normanton and Altofts.

“Their expertise and commitment to getting people walking and wheeling more as part of everyday life has helped us create a fun, accessible programme that encourages children, families and communities to be more active, explore their local area, and build healthier habits together.”  

Luke Welsh, Headteacher, Normanton Junior Academy, said:

"At Waterton Academy Trust, we're committed to decarbonisation goals through our Sustainability Strategy, and we value pupil voice and children's role as young changemakers. Living Streets' projects support us in raising awareness with children and families about their travel choices and the benefits for health, happiness, safety and the environment.  

“I lead two schools locally in Normanton and Altofts and help to drive sustainability across the Trust. I've been thrilled to see the children grow in their excitement for moving more on the way to school, arriving feeling calmer, reducing congestion and carbon emissions and working as a team to make a difference.”

You can find out more about setting up a Park and Stride or learn about WOW – the walk to school challenge by visiting livingstreets.org.uk or emailing us at [email protected]