Travel Green, Travel Healthy
Priority: Health/wellbeing/awareness
Definition: reducing carbon footprint by the promotion of sustainable and healthy transport
What is the issue?
Londoners make 3.6 million daily journeys by motorised transport which could be walked, at least in part. 40% of these journeys would take less than 10 minutes to walk for most people. Furthermore, according to Environmental Protection UK, the biggest source of both air and noise pollution comes from transport.
1 in 4 cars in the morning rush are on the school run, generating half a million tonnes of CO2 per year! Our Active Travel Ambassadors identified that this is an increasingly big problem in the local area, particularly in regards to air pollution, road safety and traffic congestion. Travelling actively for all or part of the journey to school is an easy way to become more active and help the environment at the same time.
The BIG idea?
Travel Green, Travel Healthy focuses on reducing our carbon footprint when travelling and choosing transport options that increase our level of exercise, promoting health and fitness, whilst protecting the environment. The eco committee asked everyone to travel to school in an eco-friendly way, such as walking, cycling or scooting. They encouraged the school community to reflect on how they travel, and if they can make a greener, healthier choice. For example:
- Can you plan a route to cycle or walk to school? You could start a cycling or walking group
- Can you ‘drop a stop’ (walking the last few bus stops) or ‘park and stride’ (park further away than normal)?
- Can you travel by rail or bus, instead of car?
- If you need to use the car, can you car share?
The eco committee chose this slogan as it encapsulates the idea that sustainable travel is not only good for our environment, but can have a direct impact upon our own health, especially when we combine travel with a form of exercise.
To achieve these outcomes, Villiers has been working closely with Transport for London to achieve STARS (Sustainable Travel: Active, Responsible, Safe) Award, as well as Let’s Ride Southall, a local charity committed to promoting active travel in Southall.
Our Outcomes
- Developing sustainability activities in the curriculum
- Character growth and student confidence with sustainability
- Awareness on climate change via student led assemblies
- Increased emphasis on health/wellbeing/awareness
- Maintain Green flag eco award, as well as working towards STARS award
- Work with Let’s Ride Southall to distribute free bikes, cycling training and bike equipment
The Travel Green, Travel Healthy Eco Day was held on 10/05. To raise awareness of the issue, all pupils spent the first period learning about how to make their own travel habits more sustainable. They looked at the impact of travel on a local, national and global scale, particularly in regards to air pollution. In order to change their own habits, pupils created ‘active travel maps’ to redesign their route to school. Throughout the day pupils studied different aspects of this theme in lessons, for example: using budgets to redesign roads; studying sustainable transport over time, from 4000 BC; calculating carbon emissions from different holidays; holding conversations in French/Spanish about sustainable transport; looking at transport used in pilgrimages.
There were many other exciting ways for pupils to get involved. At lunchtime, the travel ambassadors held a Road Safety obstacle course, to see how to be safe on the road. All pupils who cycled to school were entered into a Golden Bike lock competition. In partnership with Let’s Ride Southall, the eco committee also held a Bike raffle for both pupils and staff. Finally, the #SwapShops were held again, and pupils were able to trade books, stationary and toys, to reduce landfill waste.
