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9 Oct 03Planting The Seeds For Walk To School Week
This week brings the annual healthy kick to get parents and carers out of their car and on their feet for International Walk to School Week, 6 - 10 October 2003.
As part of a focus for creating a better, less polluted environment, children from Ashdown School are being joined by Councillors and Officers from Borough of Poole on a bulb planting session, which will spell out an environmentally encouraging message, in Ashdown Close in Poole. It is hoped that this will help to brighten the area and begin a new era of environmentally focused children and adults who want to spend that little extra time walking to and from school, instead of joining the car rat race.
Councillor Ron Parker, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Local Economy, said: "We spend a lot to time trying to make the area we live in less polluted and more appealing to our residents and visitors. We encourage alternative ways of travel, other than the car and place much importance on promoting safer routes to school. Walk to School week is an international focus on alternative, healthy methods of getting around and we
fully support it and all the children who get involved."Nick Ellis, Travel Plan Co-ordinator, Transportation Services, Borough Of Poole, said: "We wanted to do something a bit different this year for International Walk to School Week and connect it to the environment. Planting new ideas in the form of new bulbs ready for spring, seemed a positive and beneficial way to highlight this week. All the children involved were really enthusiastic and it got them focusing on creating a better, cleaner, less polluted environment to walk to school in."
The Borough of Poole have secured the support of the Education Secretary, Charles Clarke who said: "The Departments for Transport and Education Skills recently launched an action plan to promote safe, healthy and sustainable travel choices on the school journey - walking, cycling and buses. Walking to school is one of the best ways for children to get the exercise they need to keep them healthy. I believe that International Walk to School Week helps to raise awareness and engages children and their parents in helping to reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools and improving the environment for us all."
Nick Ellis, Travel Plan Co-ordinator, tel: (01202) 262017
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