Skip Navigation Site Map Site Search
Living Streets
ACT TravelWise
Transport for London
International Walk To School
Walk To School Banner - Click to return to homepage.Walk To School Banner - Click to return to homepage.Walk To School Banner - Click to return to homepage.Walk To School Banner - Click to return to homepage.

Tips from other Walk to School campaigners

If you would like to encourage your child's school to increase walking levels, here are some ideas of how to campaign for change:

  • Work with your local authority – the School Travel Adviser or Road Safety Officer – and you will get more done.
  • Use the promotion around Walk to School Week or Month to get media attention for your problem, or use it as a way to publicise a positive change being introduced by the school.
  • Organising events can be fun and they don’t need to take up a huge amount of your time.

    • See our top tips here:
  • Change takes time – you will make lots of incremental steps that will add up, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t get everything you want immediately!
  • Remember that in primary schools, lots of people do need to drive to school (maybe a pregnant mum or a dad with a sick kid who they can’t leave at home for the walk to school) so be nice to people.
  • Point out the problems you are aware of but be ready to suggest solutions too.
  • Park and stride schemes might work in some schools – you can encourage parents to leave their cars some distance from the school and walk the rest of the way.
  • Get the kids involved – they can help to change the opinion of the adults and even the school.
  • Get the issue on the agenda of your school’s PTA.
  • Make links with the person in the school who is responsible for the Healthy Schools Initiative – by working together you can do each other a favour.
  • You could ask the school to introduce some ‘car free’ times around the school gates, e.g. 8.45am to 9.15am, on the basis that it is safer for pedestrians.
  • Clarify the aims of your campaign and what you are trying to achieve.
  • Target the audience you want to reach.
  • Have good information to support your campaign.
  • Make sure you are doing things at the right time.
  • Work in partnership with others who share your campaign aims.
  • Always take time to ensure that people remain involved with the campaign.



    • ^^GO TO TOP^^
    PRINTABLE PAGE

    © Living Streets 2009. Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA.
    Website development & hosting 2009 © SiWIS

    Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy
    Site Map
    Tuesday 7 September 2010
    You are not currently logged in. Log In?

    LATEST NEWS

    Children who walk to school 'are less stressed in exams'
    Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets, told Mail Online: 'This new research is more ammunition for what we have been saying all along- walking really does work.
    Published: Wednesday 11 August 2010 in GENERAL NEWS
    First Walk to School for young boy
    A 12-year-old boy born with a short right leg plans to walk into school for the first time after surgeons "grew" his limb by 31cm.
    Published: Tuesday 10 August 2010 in GENERAL NEWS
    Lollipop patrol hit by cutbacks
    With local authority cutbacks, lollipop ladies (and men) are being cut, particularly across South Tyneside...
    Published: Friday 6 August 2010 in GENERAL NEWS
    CHARITY URGES PARENTS TO BE MORE PROACTIVE WITH CHILDREN'S HEALTH
    Living Streets, the national charity behind the Walk to School campaign is urging parents to be more proactive in the face of the new "plus size" clothing range for toddlers and young children launched by retailers such as Marks and Spencer.
    Published: Monday 26 July 2010 in GENERAL NEWS
    Funding crisis cuts STAs
    As the charity behind the national walk to school campaign, Living Streets is alarmed to hear that local authorities are considering cutting school travel advisor posts in Spring 2011, when central funding ends as part of the government’s cost-saving activities.
    Published: Friday 23 July 2010 in GENERAL NEWS