The sustainable transport charity Sustrans has a vision of a world in which people choose to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment. Sustrans has produced a series of informative and practical infosheets for schools. Their latest, School travel and the obesity challenge, shows how the school journey can play a part in preventing weight gain in young people and is an ideal starting point for schools and individuals.

The APTTO Project

The cross-governmental strategy for England, Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives recognises the vital importance of unstructured play and active travel for children's physical and emotional wellbeing. Yet despite various policy statements, the natural synergies between promoting and enabling outdoor play and active travel are not generally being met at the local level.

Sustrans has received funding from the South West Regional Public Health Group towards the first year of a regional programme of work, Active Play and Travel: Tackling Obesity in the South West. In the pilot phase of the project Sustrans will work with Bournemouth and Poole Borough Councils to find out how an approach that combines infrastructural investment with behavioural change work can get more people playing outdoors and being active. Bournemouth and Poole Primary Care Trust has also funded a Bike It! officer to work with primary schools in the area. Read more about all this work on the Sustrans website.