School Travel Awards

Today, Thursday 22nd March there will be an unusually empty car park at the Laichmoray Hotel in Elgin as the first annual School Travel Awards ceremony is set to take place. Thanks to the generosity of the event sponsors, Stagecoach Bluebird, staff and children attending the event will be able to travel free of charge to and from Elgin from all corners of Moray and demonstrate their commitment to reducing unnecessary car journeys while also collecting their awards.

The awards are the first of their kind in Moray and are set to be a big success with support from a diverse range of partners including; Grampian Police, NHS Grampian, Active Schools, Sustrans, The Moray Council, HiTrans, Baxters and Stagecoach.

The event is a celebration of success in the field of school travel planning. Schools and pupils will be rewarded for bold and imaginative schemes that have brought about changes in travel behaviour towards more healthy and environmentally sustainable modes such as walking and cycling. The backdrop for the event is the continuing rise in obesity levels and the associated falls in activity amongst young people. Which, if left unchecked, are storing up problems for the future.

As well as rewarding schools and pupils some of the individuals that are involved in delivering the active travel agenda will be up for nominations including - 'The Happy Crosser Award' for the most helpful and cheery School Crossing Patroller.

Chris Thompson, School Travel Co-ordinator said, "I'm particularly pleased to see this happening in Moray as we've a good record of schools getting involved in active travel projects and delivering the changes in travel behaviour that really make a difference. I hope that businesses and the wider community can draw on the enthusiasm for change displayed by these youngsters and start addressing the problems associated with our increasing dependence on private motor transport".

Eight schools will be collecting their awards for completion of their Travel Plans. The Travel Plan demonstrates a systematic approach towards encouraging more active or sustainable travel to school. New Elgin, East End, Dallas, Alves, St Gerardine, Crossroads, Applegrove and Aberlour Primary schools are set to receive a special award in this category.

A total of 15 schools will be represented at the event which is funded through the 'Tackling the School Run Fund' from the Scottish Executive. Other projects already underway from the same funding stream include a poster campaign to support active travel designed by students at Elgin Academy and a series of transition projects linking primary and secondary schools by foot or bike.

 

Notes

The School Travel Co-ordinator is responsible for the development and implementation of School Travel Plans across Moray. These plans aim to stem the decline in the number of children walking and cycling to school and encourage more children to develop active and healthy travel habits.

Not so long ago, children routinely travelled to school on foot, by bicycle or by school bus. Today a new generation of mums and dads chauffeur their children to and from school in fear of their safety. With fewer children walking to school the traffic levels increase and more parents decide it is unsafe or unpleasant to walk or cycle to school - so the cycle continues.

 

Moray Council has employed a full time School Travel Co-ordinator to develop and implement School Travel Plans to address this and other associated issues. Developing a school travel plan provides a planned approach to the hundreds of school journeys made each day and can lead to real benefits for pupils and the school, while having a dramatic effect on the local environment.

Outcomes can include:

* More children walking and cycling to school

* Improved health, road awareness and confidence of children

* Physical improvements to the walking and cycling environment

* Less pollution and congestion

* Stronger sense of community and safety