Walk
This Way: Do Your Bit for Your Children and the Planet

Find out why it’s time to ditch your car and walk to
school with your children instead. A two-minute read.

Want
to reduce carbon emissions, traffic congestion, and the risk of childhood
obesity? Then step right up and out for Walk to School Week (16 to 20 May).

Next
week’s event, organised by the charity Living Streets, encourages children and
their carers to leave the car at home and do the school run on foot instead.

So,
why all this emphasis on swapping four wheels for two feet? Here are just a few
benefits associated with walking to school.

• It’s a great way to boost children’s activity
  levels (bear in mind that only 45% of children and young people exercise
  for the recommended one hour a day*).

• Starting the day with a dose of fresh air gets
  the endorphins (feel-good emotions) going and increases alertness.

• It’s an excellent opportunity to have a little
  one-on-one time with your child and natter about whatever is on their
  mind.

• According to Unicef, in 71% of UK towns and
  cities, children breathe in unsafe levels of air pollution (which is
  linked to an increased risk of asthma and respiratory problems). Reducing
  cars on local streets will mean cleaner air. 

• The roads around schools are often chock-a-block
  at peak times, with some parents also failing to adhere to road rules and
  parking irresponsibly. Fewer cars mean less stress and less dodgy driver
  aggression.

• A Living Streets study found that 87% of
  parents with primary school-aged children have had to step into the
  carriageway because of vehicles parked on the pavement while on the school
  run. This poses serious safety and accessibility issues.

Take
part 

Why
not try walking your child to school every day next week and see if you notice
the benefits?

If
it’s not feasible to walk the whole way due to distance, consider parking about
ten minutes away from school and completing the rest of your journey on foot.

And
don’t forget to take note of the street conditions on your route to school and
contact your local council if improvements are needed to remedy unsafe
crossings or damaged pavements.

From all of us here at CWB Property,
thanks for reading and happy walking.

* Figures compiled in 2019/2020 by Sport England.