The Educator Magazine U.K. Sept-Dec 2022 - Magazine - Page 41
CBBC’s
Dr Ronx
champions
walking
to school
Children’s television presenter, Dr Ronx is the new celebrity ambassador
for WOW – the walk to school challenge from Living Streets.
The CBBC presenter and emergency
doctor will promote WOW and the
health benefits of walking to school
for the 2022-23 academic year.
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where
primary school pupils record how they
travel to school each day on the
interactive WOW Travel Tracker. Pupils
who walk, wheel, cycle or scoot to
school at least once a week for a month
are rewarded with a WOW badge.
A generation ago, 70 per cent of
primary school aged children walked
to school, now it’s around half.1. Living
Streets, the UK charity behind the walk
to school campaign is working to
reverse the decline in walking rates.
Hundreds of schools across England,
Scotland and Wales already take part in
WOW and typically see walking rates
increase by 23 per cent with a 30 per
cent reduction in cars at the school
gates. The charity hopes Dr Ronx’s
support will encourage even more
schools to sign up.
Dr Ronx visited St Joseph’s Catholic
Primary School in Dudley to learn more
about WOW – and to hear from pupils,
teachers and parents about why they
enjoy walking to school.
Dr Ronx said: “I’m thrilled to be the new
ambassador for WOW – the walk to
school challenge from Living
Streets. With notable increases in air
pollution, rising childhood inactivity
and post-lockdown poor mental health,
encouraging children to be more active
and ditching school run drives for more
sustainable modes of transport
is imperative.
“WOW is helping to empower pupils to
choose healthier and greener ways to
travel. I loved meeting the WOW pupils
and hearing how much they enjoy the
health and happiness benefits they get
from being active on the journey to
school. I’m looking forward to working
with Living Streets to help encourage
and enable even more children to walk
to school.”
Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living
Streets said:
“It’s fantastic to have Dr Ronx as our
first-ever celebrity WOW ambassador.
More children walking to school means
fewer cars around the school gates,
helping reduce road danger, congestion
and air pollution. “With their boundless
enthusiasm, we are sure that Dr Ronx
will help inspire even more children,
families and caregivers to give walking
to school a go this academic year.”
Watch our video featuring Dr Ronx
here: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=zepMyFvwpJ4
For more information about WOW,
visit https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/
wow