by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Youngsters in schools across Luton are being handed free maps to encourage them to walk and cycle their way to a healthier lifestyle.
Actions such as this, I must say, are not before time. The present idea of parents to take the children to school and back from school by car, often even SUVs, does not help the children nor the environment. The parents too could walk with their children, and not only to and from school.
Sustrans, the UK’s leading sustainable transport charity, has launched the first in a series of three Active Travel maps for Luton.
The campaign started in South Luton and Farley, which the NHS Luton Obesity Management team has targeted as a key area for its high numbers of overweight children.
Sarah Leeming, Sustrans’ Active Travel Coordinator, said: “The number of children who are overweight or obese in Luton is higher than the national average so it is vital that children, parents and teachers know the benefits of becoming active.
“Children who walk or cycle to school can easily get the recommended levels of physical activity they need by taking part in other fun games and activities.
“The Active Travel map will really help families plan their route to school and inform parents about the health benefits of walking and cycling.”
The map includes details of two Park and Stride schemes which parents can use on the school run to make sure their children walk part of their journey to and from school. There is also information on health walks through areas of natural and historical interest such as Kidney Wood Heritage Trail.
The map has been produced with Luton Borough Council, local schools and community groups and will be distributed via a number of schools in the Farley area.
Children at Hillborough Infant and Junior schools have already taken part in a Stride/Ride and Stamp scheme by walking and cycling to enter a win a bike competition during Walk to School Week, which starts on May 18th.
Mandy Silvester, Family Worker for Hillborough Infant School, said: “The school suffers with significant congestion problems and working with Sustrans has given us a great opportunity to re-launch our Park and Stride scheme from Stockwood Park. The children are really excited about the prize draw and this, together with the Active Travel map, sends an important health message home to the parents.”
Sustrans and Luton Borough Council School Travel Planning team will monitor the impact the initiatives have on walking and cycling rates.
It is time, and I will reiterate this again, that children (with a parent or guardian, if need be) walk to school or cycle, rather than be taken there by motorcar. This just is a non-sustainable affair and harms the health of the children (and parents) as well as the environment.
The great majority of the British population relies too much on the car for everything. It is as if they just have become incapable of walking more than in and around their home and, maybe, around inside stores when shopping.
To go anywhere more than a few yards they seem to have to get into their cars and go there, even to get a newspaper (and why get a newspaper anyway if you can get all the news online, including the stuff from your newspapers) of a pint of milk at the corner store.
Children seem to get the same type of values installed into them and they go to the park for instance, being driven there from just around the corner, by a parent or such, only to go for a few yards to then complain that they are tired.
We must get them out into the countryside, even if it is but the local parks, to at least walk if not also cycle, etc.
For further information contact the Luton Active Travel team 01582 732919, email activelives@sustrans.org.uk or visit www.sustrans.org.uk/activetravelluton and for other information regarding the activities of Sustrans see the website www.sustrans.org.uk
© 2009
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Free maps to help tackle childhood obesity in Luton
