Pupils at New Waltham Academy in Grimsby were able to glow on the go after Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ hi-vis donation for Walk to School Month in October.
The Lincolnshire housebuilder gave the school 35 hi-vis kit bags for its pupils to use whilst walking to and from school, in order to ensure they are easily seen on the roads as the darker nights draw in.
Walk to School Month takes place during October each year and encourages pupils to celebrate the journey to school on foot.
Victoria Barber, Deputy Headteacher at New Waltham Academy, said: “We promote walking to school throughout the year and believe the benefits are invaluable to our pupils. Not only do we hope to reduce congestion outside of school, making it safer for our pupils, but also walking, cycling and scootering to school can help to increase the children’s sense of wellbeing by making them feel more awake, focused and cheerful before arriving at school.
“We have worked with the community to ensure those pupils who can’t walk to school due to distance, can park and stride instead, meaning all pupils can benefit. This donation from Barratt and David Wilson Homes is invaluable in ensuring our pupils can continue their active journeys even when the darker mornings and evenings arrive.”
Findings from the Department for Transport, following the National Travel Survey, identified that 49% of children between the ages of five and 10-years-old walked to school in 2022.
The donation from the homebuilder, based close to the school at its Wigmore Park and High Forest developments, was designed to encourage pupils to stay active whilst making certain they remained visible during the darker nights and mornings.
Walking to school benefits children and their parents by increasing exercise and saving money on fuel, and it can even increase social interaction with other families who choose to walk to school and prevent stress by not driving during the rush hour.
Gary Chambers, Managing Director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Sheffield, said: “Walk to School Month is a campaign that we will always actively support, as the safety of pupils walking to and from school is of utmost importance.
“We have a number of families moving into our Wigmore Park and High Forest developments, so we hope the donation of hi-vis kit bagsto New Waltham Academy will help its pupils to continue their commute on foot now we have fewer hours of daylight.”
Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ hi-vis kit bags have been particularly useful during Walk to School Month, whilst being certain to benefit the pupils in their future journeys to school throughout the winter months.
Barratt and David Wilson Homes offer a number of schemes for those looking to make a move, including mortgage contributions and upgrades. The Part Exchange Guarantee scheme sees the developer become a guaranteed buyer of home buyer’s existing property, eliminating any agency fees. If Barratt Homes or David Wilson Homes then sell the property for above the agreed offer, the home buyers will receive any profit made. For more information about any nearby housing developments, visit the website at Barratt Homes in Lincolnshire or David Wilson Homes in Lincolnshire.
