Families invited to walk, ride, scoot to school

Published on 17 September 2019

Corangamite Shire Council and VicHealth are on a mission to get kids walking, riding and scooting to school as part of the annual Walk to School month.

Every October, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation program encourages families to get active on the trip to and from school. The aim is to help kids build healthy habits for life.

Corangamite will work with local primary schools to help more families walk, ride or scoot to school, thanks to $17,500 funding from VicHealth.

Council and the Heart of Corangamite will host healthy breakfasts at local primary schools and create a video promoting the importance of “active transport” when getting to school. The Shire’s Works and Services team will also extend the footpath on the way to the Derrinallum School.

Council’s Early Years team is joining with ‘Walk to School’ as ‘Walk to Wellness’.  A parenting forum ‘Food & Mood’ will be held at 6.45 pm on Monday 14, October in Camperdown.  ‘Food & Mood’ is about the links between children’s diet and mental health.

Council Acting Manager Facilities and Recreation Jane Hinds said VicHealth’s Walk to School program was a free, easy and fun way for kids to get active and build healthy habits for life.

“Council is delighted to support Walk to School to encourage more kids to be active on the way to and from school,” Ms Hinds said. “Our kids are healthier and happier when they’re active every day. Walking to school is a great way to get their activity in.

“We want to make keeping active easy and attractive for families, by making walking to school a fun social event. We are also running a colouring-in competition. Last year all primary schools across the Corangamite Shire participated in this great VicHealth initiative. We encourage all primary schools to get involved this year to make Walk to School bigger and better.”

Acting VicHealth CEO Dr Lyn Roberts AO said Walk to School grows each year with more and more schools taking part with fantastic results. 

“Walking, riding or scooting to and from school every day is an easy way to make physical activity part of kids’ daily life. That is why our Walk to School program is so important,” Dr Roberts said. “Last year more than 140,000 kids from over 750 schools across Victoria took part in Walk to School. They travelled the equivalent distance of two return trips to the moon.

“Helping our kids to get active is so important for their health and wellbeing. That is why it’s great to have the support of Corangamite Shire to get more local kids walking, riding or scooting to school.”

For more information visit the Walk to School website.

To book your place for Food & Mood, RSVP to Council on 5593 7100 by Friday 11 October.