Beat the Street Swindon races into its final weeks

Swindon’s six-week long Beat the Street challenge has reached a grand total of 187,000 miles as the game enters its ‘Go Active’ week.

Beat the Street is a free walking and cycling game taking place across the town and some villages until 6 November with prizes of sports, fitness and book vouchers for the teams that travel the furthest.

Currently, the teams at the top of the Total Points leaderboard are Haydonleigh Primary School, Orchid Vale and Ruskin Junior School, while the Average Points leaderboard is led by WHSmith; Centurion Wolf Explorer Scout Unit, and Swindon Striders.

Having encouraged more than 25,000 people across the town to get more active, organisers now want to build upon that momentum and encourage people to try different sports and fitness activities across Swindon during ‘Go Active’ week.

This includes a selection of free classes including trampolining with BETTER at Haydon Centre & Gym on Monday 29 October from 11.30am - 1.30pm. Details of how to book these can be found on Beat the Street Swindon’s Facebook page.

Last year’s Beat the Street game shows that the initiative has significant long-term benefits for inactive adults helping families and whole communities to get moving and keep active.

In Swindon, six months after the game took place in 2018, physical inactivity had decreased by 8% in adults and 44% in children.

Councillor Brian Ford, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, said: “With half term taking place and the end of the game in sight, we’d ask anyone who hasn’t yet registered to pick up a card and get involved – you’ll find the game and its benefits addictive! We’re delighted that the evaluation shows that participants are likely to continue doing regular activity even once the game has ended.

“Don’t forget that as well as doing great things for your health, you’ll also be in with a chance of winning prizes for your team or for one of the two charities, selected by the mayor Kevin Parry -  CALM (Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Movement) and the North Wiltshire Deaf Children’s Society.”

Beat the Street is delivered by Intelligent Health and is funded by the National Lottery on behalf of Sport England, and Swindon Borough Council.

More information, as well as rules, maps and a list of card distribution points, is available on the new Beat the Street website at app.beatthestreet.me/Swindon as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.