Brighton & Hove Labour are promoting the annual Walk to School Week which is occurring from 14^th – 18^th June. Parents, carers, and children across the city are being encouraged to walk, cycle, and scoot their way into class this week. Whilst in administration, Labour began introducing School Streets, a scheme which makes walking to school safer.

Walk to School Week is organised by the charity, Living Streets, to encourage families to try healthier and greener ways to travel to school, leaving their cars at home.

This year, Walk to School Week also gives people a chance to sign up to our ‘Move for Change‘ challenge through the Council’s BetterPoints app.

You earn points for all of your active and sustainable travel in and around the city which can then be redeemed at local shops or businesses as well as high street brands; or donated to a local charity. You can also win prizes through weekly prize draws and earn extra points along certain routes.

Coinciding with Walk to School Week this year is Clean Air Day, which takes place on 17^th June. This year’s theme is to ‘protect our children’s health from air pollution’.  Each year, air pollution contributes to up to 36,000 deaths in the UK.  Both the World Health Organisation and the Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk we face today.

Labour’s spokesperson for Environment, Transport and Sustainability, Councillor Gary Wilkinson, said:

“Walk to School week is a fantastic opportunity to reduce congestion, improve road safety and results in cleaner air around schools. It helps to improve our children’s physical and mental health, which is vital for their overall wellbeing.

“Walk to School Week encourages families to give walking to school a go and provides opportunities for some families to make a more permanent change to how they travel in the future. I would encourage anyone who can walk, cycle or scoot to school in Brighton and Hove this week to do so.

“I’m proud that the last Labour administration began introducing School Streets which make walking to school a much safer option for children, parents and carers alike.

“Children are key to tackling the climate crisis. Walk to School Week is a great way of showing them that there are simple, everyday steps that can be taken to make an immediate difference. These everyday changes are vital in meeting our manifesto pledge of making our city carbon neutral by 2030.

“We must take immediate action to prevent the climate emergency and to protect future generations.”

To learn more about Walk to School Week, visit the living streets website.

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Image: Living Streets