October is International Walk to School Month when pupils around the globe will celebrate the benefits of walking and wheeling to school.
There are many benefits of walking or wheeling to school. If your child is primary school age and you walk with them, it’s great exercise for both of you and gives you some extra time to talk to them about their day, all while helping to build good walking habits from a young age.
Walking or wheeling can also help build children’s confidence as they learn the rules of the road. Spending time outdoors can help to improve their physical and mental health and with fewer cars on the road, there will be less congestion at the school gates and less pollution from vehicles.
Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development said: “Our Road Safety and Active Travel team work closely with Knowsley schools throughout the year to deliver a comprehensive programme of training and support to encourage active travel.
“International Walk to School Month is a great opportunity for us to encourage more people to get involved and to try walking to and from school. Even if it’s not every day, any contribution that we can make to help reduce traffic and congestion around schools and create cleaner air, is worthwhile.”
During International Walk to School Month, Knowsley’s Road Safety Team will be hosting their annual ‘Be Bright, Be Seen’ colouring competition to remind children and parents of the importance of being seen at all times by drivers and other road users as the mornings and evenings become darker.
This year, you can turn your walk to school into a Street Safari and see how many animals, plants or fungi you can spot. Walking charity Living Streets are collaborating with the Natural History Museum to invite families to snap photos of wildlife they see on the way to and from school. Find out how to get involved on the Natural History Museum website.
Walking to school isn’t just for October, all year round, Knowsley schools can support active travel to school by taking part in funded Modeshift STARS Accreditation Programme which provides opportunities to reduce car journeys and supports walking and cycling to school.
For more information about this programme and other Road Safety support, schools can email road.safety@knowsley.gov.uk
Did you know that Knowsley has an extensive network of cycling and walking routes for getting around the borough. You can find out more on the council website.