Why walking works

Dr Kevin Golding-Williams,Public Affairs and Policy Manager

Living Streets

Living Streets

The challenge

• National Travel Survey data (including Welsh schools) shows that the proportion of trips walked to primary school has fallen from 53% in 1995/7 to 47% in 2012.

• Childhood obesity rates in Wales are the highest in the UK with 19% of children classified as obese.

Walk to School Campaign

Every child who can walk to school does so

•Running since 1995•Helps 750,000 children get walking each year•Walk to School Week (May)•International Walk to School Month (October)

Walk to School Campaign

• Primary schools

Walk once a Week (WoW)• Transitions projects

Addressing the 25% drop in walking rates from primary to secondary

• Secondary schools

Free Your Feet, Campaign in a Box

• Intensive support

School Route Audits, tackling physical barriers to walking

Walk to School Outreach Project

• Successful LSTF bid for £4.76m• Working in 11 local authority areas

over 3 years (2012-15)• Local project coordinator in each

area• Outreach with 364 schools• WoW with 854 primary schools• Work with 182 secondary schools

Walking works

• Primary schools:walking rates up by 23%car journeys down by 30%

• Secondary schools:walking rates up by 13%car journeys down by 12%

• Identified and contributed to physical improvements to school walking routes for over 10,000 pupils and their families

Walk to School Outreachexternal evaluation findings

• Good strategic fit• Supports local and national policies• Helps deliver local transport strategies• Contributes to national (DfT/DH) objectives• Strong evidence that it directly increases:

• Walking• Understanding of the benefits of walking• Awareness of walking as active travel

within local areas.• A means to embedding walking behaviours

for life• Emerging evidence it benefits local

economies• Capital funding invested locally

Primary: Walk Once a Week (WoW)

• Encourage pupils to walk to school at least once a week

• Earn a different WoW badge every month

• Badges designed by the children themselves in annual competition

• Shown to increase walking rates by up to 26% after five weeks and by up to 23% one year on

Travel Tracker

• Online alternative to wallcharts

• Compatible with electronic whiteboards

• Records all journeys to school and all travel modes

• Fun and interactive way to record journeys and see progress

Transitions: Primary into Secondary

• Address the 25% drop in walking rates from primary to secondary school

• Secondary student-led workshops with primary school leavers

• Visits to secondary school using active transport and exploring sustainable travel options

Secondary: Free Your Feet & Campaign In A Box

Free Your Feet:• Whole-school

walking challenge

• Focus on benefits of walking and reducing congestion

• Walking levels at some schools up by 13%

Campaign In A Box:• Toolkit for student-

led walk to school campaigns

• Ideas, activities and advice for adult mentors

• Perfect for school councils, Business Studies, Work Skills, Citizenship,PSHE,

Intensive support

• Deliver School Route Audits to help schools identify barriers to walking on routes around schools

• Involve pupils in audits, as well as using surveys, focus groups and school gate sessions

• Work with schools and local authorities to find ways to implement real changes to school walking routes.

Feedback from schools

“The children have taken to it and my year six organisers are very enthusiastic.”

“We are seeing an increase and the badges are having a great impact on the children. They are proud to be walking around school with them on.”

“Our walk to school has proved really successful and has even triggered a community clean up of one of the local footpaths!”

“I have changed walking once a week to twice this month as so many children have begun to walk.”

Find out more

Dr Kevin Golding-Williams,Public Affairs and Policy Manager E-mail: Kevin.Golding-Williams@livingstreets.org.ukTel: 020 7377 4907

www.livingstreets.org.uk/walktoschool Twitter @livingstreets