New Elgin Primary School involved in initiative to get children and parents walking
Primary school pupils are set to benefit from an initiative designed to get them walking.
Youngsters at New Elgin Primary School from the A Wee Walk Works Wonders initiative, created to motivate pupils and their parents/carers to swap short car journeys for walking.
The scheme, run by Living Streets Scotland and Transform Scotland, was launched October 22 at New Elgin Primary, allowing parents and pupils to learn more about the health challenge.
Pupils and their families learned more about the challenge and met Living Streets’ mascot Strider at the launch event.
Chair of Moray Council’s education, communities and leisure services committee, councillor Kathleen Robertson (Conservative, Forres) said: “A Wee Walk Works Wonders is a fantastic initiative that I am pleased to support.
“Encouraging pupils and their families to walk for short journeys not only promotes physical health, but also contributes to a safe, cleaner environment for everyone.”
Pupils will be asked to record their journeys to school via an interactive WOW Travel Tracker.
Individuals who chose to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ to school will be rewarded with a WOW badge.
Participants will also be entered into a weekly prize draw to win a £50 love local shopping voucher.
More than 150 primary schools across Scotland will participate in the programme, which has seen an average increase of five to 10 percent in pupils walking to school - improving mental health, school safety as well as congestion rates and drop in car usage.
Project manager of A Wee Walk Works Wonders, Susan Jeynes, said: “Walking can offer you a wide range of benefits for your health, your wallet and the planet.
“This campaign will encourage people to continue walking throughout autumn and winter, reminding them that a Wee Walk Works Wonders. Whatever the weather.”
A Wee Walk Works Wonders runs across Moray until November 17 and in Aberdeenshire until November 24.
