The UK’s biggest inter-school active travel challenge set off in Edinburgh.
It began on Monday morning with schools competing to see who could get the highest percentage of their pupils walking, using a wheelchair, scooting or cycling to school.
The launch was held at Corstorphine Primary School when pupils started the event with a walking ‘silent disco’ bus and bike bus morning school commute. Pupils also celebrated the first day of the event with an hour of games and bike fun in the school playground.
The annual event organised by Sustrans, and sponsored by Schwalbe, is intended to inspire pupils to make active journeys to school, improve air quality in their neighbourhood and discover how these changes benefit their world.
In a YouGov survey in 2021 half (49%) of UK school pupils said they were worried about air pollution near their school, while 57% of pupils described the environment around their school as having too many cars.
The Big Walk and Wheel is a key moment to raise awareness of the environmental, wellbeing and financial benefits of travelling actively to school. More than 1,000 schools in the UK have signed up to take part.
Cllr Scott Arthur the Transport & Environment Convener was also in attendance:
Elizabeth Gilles, Depute Headteacher at Corstorphine Primary School, said: “It is wonderful to see our pupils embrace a range of activities for the Big Walk and Wheel. We really enjoy taking part in this every year and we can see how walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling can be great fun for everyone involved. Leaving the car at home can also have a positive impact on local traffic congestion and air pollution near the school too.”
Cecilia Oram, Sustrans Head of Behaviour Change, said: “Hundreds of thousands of pupils have risen to the challenge and embraced active travel each year, and this is such a fun event for schools to take part in. There’s a serious element to the Big Walk and Wheel too. Not only does the event help reduce pollution around the school gates but in 2019 it helped parents to save an estimated £1.6million in petrol costs during the fortnight.”
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