Gateshead Beat the Street players cover more than 22k miles in 4 weeks
Well done to everyone who took part in Beat the Street, the innovative physical activity programme that transformed Saltwell and Bridges into a giant game.
Between 18 May and 15 June, special sensors called Beat Boxes were placed on lampposts across the area, around half a mile apart. Players were awarded points for swiping their contactless game cards against each Beat Box that they passed, so the further they travelled, the more points they scored. Over 3,000 people signed up to play Beat the Street and scored points for their school, team or community group by walking, running, scooting or cycling a combined total of 22,296 miles!
Pupils at eight participating schools were given cards when the game launched, along with parents and teachers. Other residents were encouraged to collect cards for free from local distribution points and either donate their points to a school, register their own team or play as an individual.
Congratulations in particular to those at the top of the leaderboards (opens new window)!
Alice Wiseman, Gateshead's Director of Public Health, said: "It's been fantastic to see so many people of all ages enjoying Beat the Street! Increasing your activity levels is one of the best things you can do for your mental and physical health, and the game has clearly achieved its aim of encouraging people to do that in a fun, free and inclusive way.
Although the game has come to an end, I hope that those who took part have felt the benefits of moving more and go on to make these healthy new habits part of their everyday routine."
Councillor John McElroy, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, added: "By making more journeys on foot or by bike, Beat the Street players have not only improved their own health and wellbeing but also played a part in reducing air pollution and traffic congestion. A lot of children already walk to and from school, but even more families chose to leave the car at home for the school run in order to score more points.
It's also great that teachers were able to incorporate group walks into their lesson plans, giving pupils more opportunities to get active in the fresh air, enjoy local landmarks and follow the Green Cross Code."
The four-week pilot in Saltwell and Bridges was partly funded by Sport England and provided by Intelligent Health. Gateshead Council's Public Health Team hopes to bring Beat the Street back to Gateshead soon, but if you enjoyed taking part and are looking for new ways to enjoy active travel, visit the Go Smarter Go Active (opens new window) website for inspiration.
Well done to everyone who took part in Beat the Street, the innovative physical activity programme that transformed Saltwell and Bridges into a giant game.
Between 18 May and 15 June, special sensors called Beat Boxes were placed on lampposts across the area, around half a mile apart. Players were awarded points for swiping their contactless game cards against each Beat Box that they passed, so the further they travelled, the more points they scored. Over 3,000 people signed up to play Beat the Street and scored points for their school, team or community group by walking, running, scooting or cycling a combined total of 22,296 miles!
Pupils at eight participating schools were given cards when the game launched, along with parents and teachers. Other residents were encouraged to collect cards for free from local distribution points and either donate their points to a school, register their own team or play as an individual.
Congratulations in particular to those at the top of the leaderboards (opens new window)!
Alice Wiseman, Gateshead's Director of Public Health, said: "It's been fantastic to see so many people of all ages enjoying Beat the Street! Increasing your activity levels is one of the best things you can do for your mental and physical health, and the game has clearly achieved its aim of encouraging people to do that in a fun, free and inclusive way.
Although the game has come to an end, I hope that those who took part have felt the benefits of moving more and go on to make these healthy new habits part of their everyday routine."
Councillor John McElroy, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, added: "By making more journeys on foot or by bike, Beat the Street players have not only improved their own health and wellbeing but also played a part in reducing air pollution and traffic congestion. A lot of children already walk to and from school, but even more families chose to leave the car at home for the school run in order to score more points.
It's also great that teachers were able to incorporate group walks into their lesson plans, giving pupils more opportunities to get active in the fresh air, enjoy local landmarks and follow the Green Cross Code."
The four-week pilot in Saltwell and Bridges was partly funded by Sport England and provided by Intelligent Health. Gateshead Council's Public Health Team hopes to bring Beat the Street back to Gateshead soon, but if you enjoyed taking part and are looking for new ways to enjoy active travel, visit the Go Smarter Go Active (opens new window) website for inspiration.
