Maidenhead & Windsor

Schoolchildren in the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough now have a great incentive to get walking and cycling to school – free swims.

The School Travel Reward Scheme (STaRS), organised by Windsor and Maidenhead borough to tie in with International Walk to School Month, gets going at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead on Wednesday October 3 at 11.30am with the aim of reducing the number of primary school children travelling by car and encouraging a healthier lifestyle.

The Mayor, Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Leo Walters, will be joined by pupils from St Mary's Primary School in Maidenhead to officially launch the scheme. Earlier this year St Mary's developed its School Travel Plan which seeks to reduce car use on the school run and actively promotes walking and cycling to school.

Under the STaRS scheme each pupil at participating schools will be issued with a card which their teacher stamps with a star every time the child walks or cycles to school. Once they have collected enough star stamps they are rewarded with bronze, silver and gold stars and up to two free swims at the Magnet or Windsor leisure centres.

Cllr Colin Rayner, lead member for Windsor and Maidenhead highways, transport and environment, said: "Encouraging more children to walk and cycle to school instead of travelling by car brings so many benefits.

He explained: "As well as helping to reduce the borough's carbon footprint it helps cut traffic congestion and improve air quality. Also, walking or cycling to school is a simple, regular activity that can increase pupils' health and fitness levels and help reduce the current obesity crisis faced by the UK. Research by University College London showed that some children burned more calories walking to and from school every day than in two hours of PE or games lessons per week."

Gordon Oliver, Windsor and Maidenhead principal transport policy officer, said: "STaRS is designed to promote healthy, sustainable travel to school. It supports other local initiatives such as School Travel Plans and Healthy Schools, which promotes children's social and physical wellbeing at school.

"Based on the success of this pilot, we would look to making STaRS a regular scheme, possibly even issuing collector cards as often as once a term."

STaRS can also help schools looking to introduce walking buses. At least six schools in Windsor and Maidenhead borough are considering setting up a walking bus scheme, or similar initiative, where a group of children is accompanied by trained adult supervisors. Parents interested in a walking bus scheme for their school should contact Tony Carr, the borough's traffic and road safety manager, on 01628 796405 or at road.safety@rbwm.gov.uk

For further information on STaRS or to discuss any School Travel Plan issues, contact Gordon Oliver on 01628 796097 or at transport.planning@rbwm.gov.uk

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead