Neath Port Talbot Council’s road safety team is encouraging pupils and parents to think about how they travel to school.
Recent research has shown that children are more restricted in their freedom than ever before and this is having a detrimental effect on children’s sense of place and understanding of their local community.
As a reward to those parents and pupils who make the effort to use more sustainable of travelling to school, the road safety unit has teamed up with the Apollo Cinema in Port Talbot to offer pupils who walk or cycle to school a free cinema ticket.
70 schools throughout the county borough are now joining in the ‘Footprints to the Stars’ scheme which involves issuing the children with a footprints record card so every time they walk or cycle to school they have the card signed by a member of staff.
Once the children have walked or cycled 15 times and have a completed card they are entitled to a free ticket.
Since this scheme began, the Apollo Cinema has reported a marked increase in the amount of pupils attending the Saturday Kids Club which has now been changed to 10am every Saturday.
Leader of Council, Ali Thomas, said,”I am delighted with the enthusiasm of pupils and school staff and the way they have embraced this scheme and encouraged their pupils to use more sustainable methods of transport.
“The partnership with the Apollo Cinema is providing an excellent incentive to promote walking and cycling and would like to thank the management of the cinema for working with us and supporting this initiative.”
