Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13726)           
UK only International

Beat the Street project to expand across England following £3.3m cash injection

By Tom Walker    23 Oct 2018
The game sees individuals or families use a card to tap into ‘Beat Boxes’ located on lampposts all across town

A community initiative which seeks to turn towns and cities into "giant playgrounds" for children – in order to get them physically active – is set to expand across England.

The Beat the Street project has received £3.3m worth of Lottery funding, which will see a further 59 'games' being rolled out across South West England and the East Midlands.

Already active in 72 towns and cities across the UK and Europe, the programme was set up by Intelligent Health.

The game sees individuals, or teams – often schools and families – use a card to tap into ‘Beat Boxes’ located on lampposts all across town.

When users tap into a new location they score points for the distance they have walked, cycled or scooted to get there – with a central website keeping a running total and allowing people to play in teams, competing against others in the same town.

The game lasts for two months in any location, with cards available from libraries, hospitals, supermarkets and leisure centres.

A card must then be registered on each town’s own Beat the Street website, where maps of Beat Box locations can also be found, before a player can head out and get tapping.

Prizes are on offer for the best performing groups in specific categories and Dr William Bird, the brains behind Beat the Street, believes his game helps get a whole town active.

“Walking isn’t just a physical activity, it’s a social interaction where people can connect with the outdoors and rediscover their roots,” he said.

“As doctors our role is based on reaction, we recommend activity and prescribe medicine, but Beat the Street focuses on preventing illnesses in the first place.

“Moving upstream from the NHS, we are changing behaviours in whole towns and whole cities. It’s amazing to see people taking ownership and mass participation with some schemes having more than 40,000 people playing in just a week or two.”

More than 850,000 people have taken part in the game in the last five years, with findings showing that participants increased their weekly walking by 180 minutes a week and their overall levels of physical activity by 335 minutes per week in the six months after playing the game.

The £3.3m funding is expected to support more than 655,000 people to get active.

“By getting people outside, socialising, and exploring their local area, Beat the Street makes being active fun no matter how fit you are,” said Sport England's executive director for children, young people and tackling inactivity, Mike Diaper.

Beat the Street  Intelligent Health  William Byrd  NHS  Sport England 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related features

Company profile

Company profile: FIBO Global Fitness
FIBO pursues the vision of a strong and healthy society and as a global network makes an essential contribution to a long and fulfilling life for people. At the annual FIBO Show, therefore, all players from the fitness, wellness and health sectors come together and form the hot spot for innovations, investments and trends for an active lifestyle.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

Sprung Gym-Flooring: leading fitness flooring provider paves the way for top performance
Introducing Sprung Gym-Flooring, where innovation meets excellence in the world of flooring and sports solutions.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Loughton, IG10
Company: Knight Frank
Location: Grantham, Leicestershire
Company: Belvoir Castle
Location: Verwood, Dorset
Company: AVISON YOUNG
Location: Hall Place House, Bexley, DA5 1PQ
Company: London Borough of Bexley
Location: 15 Concessions across the nation's forests
Company: Forestry England
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

11-14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Centre , Cologne, Germany
22-24 Apr 2024
Galgorm Resort, York
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais), Wiesbaden, Germany
More diary dates