Walk for the World this October

October is International Walk to School month and Somerset County Council is putting the call out to all pupils to get involved if they can.

Walking instead of driving where possible is better for your physical and mental wellbeing; and it’s better for the environment and for traffic congestion – especially at those school gates.

As we head into the autumn and winter, it’s vital we all take any opportunity to exercise and walking or cycling are very good ways to do this.  There are lots of organisations that have got a bank of helpful resources for Walk to School month, and our own road safety team are no different. Somerset Road Safety have some advice for pedestrians and some educational activity sheets for children; they can be found here.

The Council’s Bridgwater Way initiative is all about supporting people to use active travel, especially getting to school or work. There’s a great selection of safe routes available in an interactive map – check it out on www.thebridgwaterway.co.uk. During October hundreds of pupils in the town will be taking part in an active travel Schools Challenge.

Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP) and partners are highlighting the benefits of Walk to School month for parents through the Get Outside in Somerset Campaign; this time spent outdoors is beneficial to their health as well as their children’s. Their resources and local walk information can be accessed at www.getoutsideinsomerset.co.uk/.

Living Streets are leading the #WalkForTheWorld campaign on social media, and they have a lot of information on how you can get involved. All of that can be found on their Walk to School month webpage at www.livingstreets.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/international-walk-to-school-month.

For families who don’t live locally to school, Living Streets also have some guidance around Park and Stride schemes. All their contact details and information on how to launch such a scheme can be found here.

Councillor Clare Paul, Somerset County Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for Public Health and Wellbeing said: “As the autumn begins, it is still so important to make sure we get outside and enjoy the fresh air, even though the weather isn’t so good.”

“Taking part in International Walk to School month is a great way for both parents and children to exercise and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time. Make sure you do your bit and walk for the world this October.”

Keep an eye out for the #WalkForTheWorld hashtag on social media this month. The best way to ensure you do this is to follow our road safety team on Twitter (@SCC_RoadSafety) and like their page (Somerset Road Safety) on Facebook.