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Published on Wednesday 04 May 2022

BCP Schools join in the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel

Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel, the UK’s largest walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting to school challenge, saw school communities across the UK complete over 2.2 million active journeys and physical activities between Monday 21 March and Friday 1 April 2022.

During the competition, over 7,700 school children from Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) were walking, cycling, wheeling and scooting, contributing over 35,000 journeys and physical activities to the total.

If those journeys to school during Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel in BCP had been made by car instead, this could have created 24 tonnes of CO2. That’s enough to fill 900,000 party balloons with harmful CO2 emissions.
Speaking about the results of the Big Walk and Wheel competition, Sarah Leeming, Interim Director for south of England at Sustrans, said:

"It’s brilliant to see everyone working together to walk, wheel, scoot and cycle so far during this year’s Big Walk and Wheel.

"Travelling sustainably for the equivalent of so many trips around the world and doing our bit to stop vast amounts of harmful emissions being released, goes to show the positive impact we can have together by swapping to active travel for everyday journeys like the school run.
"Congratulations to everyone that took part in this year’s event."
15 schools in BCP took part this year. Top of the leader board for the area for the large primary school category was Christchurch Juniors, finishing 104th nationally with a daily average of 79 percent of pupils logging active travel journeys and physical activity.

Coming top in the secondary school category for BCP was Avonbourne Academy who secured an impressive 13th place nationally with an average daily score of 69 percent.

Cllr Mike Greene, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for transport and sustainability said:
"Well done to the fifteen BCP schools and thousands of school children who made over 35,000 active journeys during the Big Walk and Wheel campaign. It’s great to see such positive involvement from our local school community.
"We’re proud to partner with Sustrans - as a council we’re committed to supporting and promoting the benefits of an active school run. It’s important for children and young people’s physical and mental health, as well as reducing traffic, improving air quality and saving fuel costs for parents."

Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel had a total of 2,440 schools registering across the nation with nearly 800,000 pupils taking part and logging over 2.2 million walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling journeys to school, all with the aim to reduce carbon emissions around their schools.

Click here for more information on 'The Big Walk and Wheel'

Click here for a list of BCP Schools who took part

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