Pupils back the bear
School children are backing the bear and encouraging their parents not to drive them to school.
A cuddly polar bear soft toy has joined 51 infant and primary schools in Warwickshire, and classes where the least number of children get driven in to school get to look after the bear.
But until now the bear has been nameless – prompting a competition in schools to come up with a suitable name.
Children aged 4-7 came up with their favourite names and with the bear being white, many of the names they suggested related to snow. But the favourite name of Warwickshire County Council’s Sustainable Travel Team was “Walker” as suggested by Hannah Diesch in Year 2 at Bawnmore Community Infant School in Rugby.
Laura Vesty, Sustainable Travel Officer, said: “We thought Walker was the best name as it sums up the whole scheme. The reason why we’ve introduced the bears is to encourage children and parents to walk more and use their cars less for the school run.
“Parents can park away from the school site and walk the last 10 minutes meaning the area around the school is much safer and hopefully Walker will be a positive way of encouraging more walking to schools.”
Cllr Martin Heatley, the county council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “This scheme has been a roaring success, if parents just paws for thought they will realise that walking in doesn’t have to be all that grizzly.”
The scheme was devised by All Saints C of E Primary School in Nuneaton and has proved extremely popular. In an assembly they present a soft toy for the infant class and a trophy for the junior class with the least car travellers. The scheme is available for all schools that have completed a School Travel Plan.
All schools in England need to complete a Travel Plan by 2010 and 67% of Warwickshire’s schools have now completed a Plan with the remainder of schools being offered support from the team at the Council.
Cllr Heatley added: “Warwickshire’s schools are working very hard to reduce congestion and promote healthy ways of travelling to school. Parents can make all the difference by simply parking a 10 minute walk from the school gates and walking the rest of the way or by helping with the School’s Travel Plan and I’d encourage any parent that is interested to offer their support to the school.”
The School Travel Plan also allows schools to create links and access other services at the council such as road safety training, creating Safer Routes to School, becoming a Sustainable/ Eco School and a Healthy School.