Pupils in Fenland will be putting their best feet forward to promote the benefits of walking to school during Walk to School Week.Fenland pupils will join thousands of children learning about healthy ways of getting to and from school as part of the week

Pupils in Fenland will be putting their best feet forward to promote the benefits of walking to school during Walk to School Week.

Fenland pupils will join thousands of children learning about healthy ways of getting to and from school as part of the week (October 2nd to 6th ) - supported by Cambridgeshire County Council's Safer Routes To School team.

In May this year 90 schools countywide took part in Walk to School Week and class packs were distributed to around 22,000 children across the county.

Surveys showed that car use fell by 4 per cent both during and after the special week and walking increased by 3 per cent. Reception Classes saw the largest drop in car use of 6 per cent.

October 2006 is Walk to School month for 36 countries around the world. Last year over 3 million walkers from 36 countries walked to school together - all hoping to create communities that are safe places to walk.

Schools benefit from resource packs funded by Cambridgeshire County Council. Each resource pack contains stickers, bookmarks and posters to help promote walking as a healthier alternative to using the car on the home to school journey.

Walking to school has many benefits:

· It equips children with basic life skills - preparing them for independent travel in the future and allowing them to learn from experiences whilst walking to school with their parents and carers.

· It promotes well-being and confidence and has proven mental and physical benefits.

· It empowers children - giving them shared responsibilities on the walk to school.

· It lets children explore and enjoy the outside world using their imagination to seek fun "lets children be children"

Cambridgeshire County Council's School Travel Coordinator Barnaby Harding says that Walk to School Week has many benefits: "There are so many benefits to walking the home to school journey, from improved road safety awareness of children and increased daily exercise to being given the opportunity to chat to friends on the way. Congestion at the school gate is also greatly reduced, thereby making the school environment much safer.