St. Vincent de Paul SNS launched the Green-Schools’ National Walk to School Week 2018 today, 11th May, for a very special 10th birthday celebration of walking to school. National Walk to School Week takes place in schools across the country from May 14th to May 18th.

St. Vincent de Paul SNS, together with Green-Schools, celebrated the great achievements made in schools around the country that have increased the numbers of children walking to school. The colourful and lively event aimed to encourage students, families and teachers to enjoy walking to school and to focus on continuing to journey to school on foot into the summer months – and all year round!

Green-Schools National Walk to School Week is a country-wide initiative which will result in thousands of pupils, their parents and teachers walking to and from school, to enjoy the environmental, health, social and financial benefits of active travel on the school journey.  The week will also be an opportunity for schools to try other modes of travel including: cycling, scooting, Park ‘n’ Stride, carpooling and travelling by bus.

Building on the success of last year’s National Walk to School Week, Green-Schools hopes that schools will help it surpass last year’s figure of 30,000 people walking to school, on National WOW (Walk on Wednesday) Day on May 16th. Last year over 70% of pupils from participating schools opted to walk, scoot or Park ‘n’ Stride to school.

About National Walk to School Week

Green-Schools National Walk to School Week is one of the most important action awareness weeks in the Irish school calendar and is the only one of its kind in Ireland which promotes active and sustainable travel on the journey to school.

Jane Hackett, Green-Schools Travel Manager said; ‘As a nation we’re not walking enough; but there’s no better place to begin than on the journey to school. The benefits are enormous and communities in which children can walk to school are happier, healthier ones, with cleaner air and reduced congestion at the school gates. We hope that by celebrating the 10th birthday of National Walk to School Week we can remind everyone of these benefits and get children out walking, not just during the month of May but every day!”

@greenschoolsire

#W2SW18

Download the Walk to School Week Poster 2018 here