MP tells kids – “Walk on by”

This week Warrington North MP HELEN JONES helped launch a new £15 million fund to help local schools get more pupils walking to school.

She said:

“ Sometimes the obvious things need to be said: walking to school is good for pupils and we should make it safe for them. That’s why I’m backing a new scheme to set up ‘walking buses’ in primary schools.

“ Walking to school gets cars off the road and makes pupils more healthy. Local teachers tell me that kids who walk to school concentrate more and learn better.

“ Walking buses are safe and an easy way to get children to school. As well as being good for kids they are great for parents as well because they don’t have to worry about the school run.

“ This time next year I would like to see walking buses snaking across town every morning. I hope Warrington’s education authority will encourage schools to take part and I will be more than happy to help teachers get the money and support they need to make this happen. “

The scheme ensures that groups of children can walk to school, in safety, accompanied by staff and volunteers. At present less than half of journeys to school are on foot.

The £15 million fund will provide grants for primary schools for up to 3 years to encourage walking to school. They could use it to:

• pay a teaching assistant to act as ‘walking bus’ co-ordinator who would also promote the scheme to parents and seek support from local businesses;
• provide incentives to children for taking part in the buses;
• provide an escort for a ‘walking bus’ for an initial period;
• pay the cost of assessing ‘walking bus’ routes;
• high visibility clothing for children walking to school.
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The funding is for the period April 2007 to March 2010 and is intended to help demonstrate to schools, parents and local authorities the benefits of encouraging children to walk to school.