Pupils and parents in Wolverhampton are being encouraged to put their best foot forward and to step out for Living Streets' International Walk to School Month which is now underway. Hundreds of thousands of children and families nationwide will be swapping the school run for a school walk during October, either by leaving the car at home or parking further away from the school or hopping off the bus a stop early and walking the rest of the way.
Experts recommend that children are physically active for at least 60 minutes a day to stay fit and maintain a healthy weight – and walking to school is an easy way to achieve some of these active minutes. Children who travel actively to school will arrive feeling refreshed and ready to learn, and evidence suggests they will do better in class and be happier, healthier and more independent as a result.
Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: "A generation ago more than two thirds of children walked to school, but now it's dropped to half.
“There are so many benefits from choosing to walk to school rather than driving, from improving the health and wellbeing of children and their parents to helping to reduce congestion and pollution, and so I would encourage all our schools, children and families to take part in this very important campaign."
International Walk to School Month is organised by the walking charity Living Streets.