More schools sign up to MoveIt

The iWay MoveIt campaign is helping students consider more healthy ways of getting to school. 12 local schools have now joined the MoveIt campaign which encourages children to walk, scooter or bike to school.

Hastings District Council Deputy Mayor Cynthia Bowers says “The MoveIt campaign is into its second year and aims to help students develop a more healthy lifestyle, while removing some of the congestion that is caused by having a large number of vehicles arrive at the school gates, before and after school.”

Cynthia Bowers says “The students who take part in MoveIt are given a card which is stamped by volunteers at the gate every time they walk, scooter or ride a bike to school Once a card has been filled, it goes into the draw where the students can win a tshirt, vouchers or iWay goodies.”

“Our research shows that before MoveIt was introduced into Te Mata Primary School last year, 70% of students arrived each day by car. Once the programme was established, that figure turned around to 70% arriving by foot, scooter or bike. That is a fantastic response and we would like to see more schools take up the challenge and sign up for the campaign,” Cynthia Bowers says.

Frimley Primary School Principal Malcolm Dixon says “The MoveIt campaign has had an amazingly positive effect on the way students are arriving at school. It is now quite noticeable that there are not as many cars at the school gates each morning.”

Malcolm Dixon says “There are definitely more bikes and scooters in the school grounds now and the students are enthusiastic about getting their cards stamped.”

As part of the MoveIt campaign, the school with the most students who have changed to biking, walking or scootering will get to design a new MoveIt badge. The winner will be announced at the end of April and the winning school will get to submit four different designs for MoveIt badges to be used by schools next term.

Any school that would like to join the MoveIt campaign can email the iWay team at info@iway.co.nz for further information.
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