People of all ages are invited to ditch the car and get active as Beat the Street Merton is now underway in the borough, running from Wednesday 15 March to Wednesday 26 April.
Beat the Street is a free, interactive game that encourages people to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives by rewarding teams with points and prizes the further they travel on foot, by bike and by scooter.
There are leader boards and prizes for the teams that travel the furthest, with vouchers for books and sports equipment and opportunities for teams of all sizes to win.
Beat the Street was devised by GP Dr William Bird. It aims to make exercise and physical activity fun by introducing a competitive game element. The game has been played in towns and cities from the north of Scotland, to Eastbourne on the south coast, as well as closer to home in Islington and Lambeth.
Beat the Street encourages you to explore Merton on foot, discovering new places, even if you’ve lived here for years.”
Beeping and flashing sensors, called beat boxes, will be placed on lampposts around the area for the duration of the six-week game. Primary school pupils will be provided with a player pack containing a map and a card for the child and an accompanying adult. The wider community can pick up a contactless card from certain distribution points.
Alternatively, players over the age of 13 can download the free Beat the Street app to play the game.
Players can join a school, community, or a workplace team, plus one of two official charity teams (for this year’s charities of the Mayor of Merton, Councillor Joan Henry – Dons Local Action Group and Jimmy Asher Foundation).
Players travel between the contactless beat boxes scoring points with their cards as they go. The further players travel, the more points they score for their community or school team.
Each week is themed with different activities to help participants get the most out of their Beat the Street experience.
Beat the Street Merton has been commissioned by Merton Council and NHS South West London with support from the National Lottery via Sport England. It is being delivered by Intelligent Health.
Beat the Street Merton forms part of the Actively Merton programme, which supports people to be more physically and socially active, delivered in a way that residents want.
Mark Creelman, place executive, Merton and Wandsworth, NHS South West London said: “Beat the Street encourages you to explore Merton on foot, discovering new places, even if you’ve lived here for years. It is also a great way of helping people to make small, but positive lifestyle changes. All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes and you’re ready to go.”
Councillor Peter McCabe, Merton Council’s cabinet member for health and social care, said: “We are delighted to bring this innovative and compelling game to Merton, and we can’t wait to see how far everyone is able to walk, run, cycle and scoot during the game. Active travel is cheap, low carbon, improves air quality and also improves physical and mental health Everyone is welcome to get involved. So, pick up a card or download the mobile app, and join the movement!”
Find out more, including details of how the game works on the Beat the Street Merton website and on social media at @BTSMerton.
