For over four years we have been working with Travelwise NI, the sustainable transport team within the Department for Regional Development, to promote Walk to School Week. We are delighted to announce that once again the initiative, which took place from 20th to 25th May, was a huge success with thousands of children from across Northern Ireland choosing to make the daily journey to school on foot.
Getting children out of cars and onto their feet is the driving force behind the initiative, which aims to encourage school children to adopt sustainable travel behaviour habits and experience the health, environmental, social and financial benefits of walking.
To encourage children, parents and teachers to get involved, we teamed up with Paralympic gold medallist, Michael McKillop. At the 2012 London Paralympics, Michael was awarded the prestigious Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award in recognition of his work with the youth of Northern Ireland in promoting healthy living and paralympic sport. Michael was a real inspiration to the children by helping them to consider the benefits of walking –the perfect choice for the 2013 Walk to School Week ambassador!
The launch event at the Ballymoney Footbridge in Co. Antrim was a real highlight when Transport Minister, Danny Kennedy, Michael McKillop and pupils from four schools in the Ballymoney area came together to mark the official start of Walk to School Week 2013. Throughout the week thousands of pupils also engaged in fun-filled classroom activities that helped to raise the importance of making smart travel decisions.
The key aim of the campaign was to help reverse the trend for children to travel to school by car and we are delighted that so many schools took part in this exciting event!
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