Walk to School Week kicked off on May 16 and over 200 primary schools and nurseries and 27 children’s centres in Hertfordshire will be taking part.

Councillor Allan Witherick said “Today is the second of the week and a good reminder that the benefits really kick in when you do things on a regular basis.  Regular exercise can make a real difference to a persons health and hence asking- ‘How far have you got walking?’ to make people think of how a simple stroll can benefit individuals.”

More information on Walk to School Week can be found on www.walktoschool.org.uk

Recent research from Living Streets:

New research has shown in stark detail the barriers children face each day that prevent them from walking to school.

In a survey published to mark the start of National Walking Month by the charity Living Streets, they asked 2,000 British children aged 7-14 about their habits, concerns, and fears when it comes to their walk to school. They found that 62% of primary school children claim to be unable to walk to school as it is too far, yet the majority of primary school pupils live within a 20-minute walk of the school gates.
More information here: http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/news/uk/-/children-scared-to-walk-to-school

Buggy Buddies

For the first time this year children under five will be taking part in Walk to School Week with the help of the Buggy Buddy scheme being run through children’s centres.

Buggy Buddies is a scheme developed in Hertfordshire to get children aged 0-5 on the move, leading active and healthy lifestyles from a young age. The Buggy Buddies are six friendly bugs that can be used by parents and practitioners to create fun, outside activities for young children to do when they are travelling to and from settings like children’s centres, pre-schools, nurseries or childminders, and also when they are outside in the garden or at the park.