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Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire UK

Go For Gold

Go for Gold is an informal walking scheme developed to encourage children (and parents) to walk to school, and to help reduce congestion around the school. It is a reward scheme whereby the children have a gold card (or passport) stamped every time they walk to school.

Project Overview:

Go for Gold goals and objectives are to: � encourage children and their parents to walk to school. � reduce car trips. � reduce congestion around the school. � reduce pollution. � promote healthier lifestyles. Go for Gold was an original idea from Holmer Green First School and Nicky Batkin (a parent, governor and School Travel Plan co-ordinator at the school) who developed the scheme during Walk to School Week in October 2000 as a way of encouraging more children and parents to walk to school. Each time a child that was signed up to Go For Gold walked to school, they were rewarded with a stamp in their passport. Car use was reduced by the school from 62% to 26%. The idea was developed and now children are offered a variety of additional incentives depending on the number of stamps they achieve. Stickers and swimming concession, arranged at some local leisure centres, are provided by BCC, but schools may purchase other incentives, such as collectors badges, pencils or pencil cases. Go for Gold is a fun activity that promotes healthy exercise, whilst at the same time reducing traffic outside the school. The target audience at the initial stage was primary school children who responded positively to incentives such as stamps in a passport. An exclusion zone is identified, or a clearly defined distance, from which children must walk to qualify for a stamp on the Go for Gold card, is agreed. The zone will depend on the location and accessibility of the school, and the pupil age. The scheme fits well with the Park-and-Walk initiative, because for those who live further from school, Go for Gold is promoted with Park-and-Walk

Innovation:

Go For Gold came about when Nicky Batkin and Holmer Green First School wanted to encourage the children and parents to walk to school, at least part of the way. The scheme had to be simple and inexpensive to set up, to ensure the school community would get involved. Guidelines explained that children registered would be issued with a passport to be marked every time the child walked from outside an exclusion zone. Once they had walked 10 times they would be awarded a star (on their passport) and for additional stars could collect stickers (green, bronze, silver and gold). The gold sticker being the ultimate Go for Gold. Go For Gold is an alternative to the Buckinghamshire Crocodile for those children who may already walk to school but dont feel they want to walk as part of a Crocodile. The scheme depends on complete honesty for it to be credible. Parents cannot encourage their children to request passport stamps if the guidelines are not followed! Children tend to be honest in this respect. To enable every child to walk (at least part of the way), dropping-off/parking points outside the exclusion zone were identified. This Park and Walk initiative was set up with the help of local business or churches etc. This is a simple but effective way of encouraging walking. Cars are parked in nominated car parks (or even at a friends house), and children can then walk to school either on their own or with friends or family

Achievement:

o In no more than 250 words, please describe the project's main achievements. Achievements may include changes in behaviour (such as increased walking by students or slower speeds by drivers); adoption of new policies; improvements to the built environment (such as new sidewalks or paths) or reductions in air pollutants. Include any evaluation component and outreach and promotion accomplishments such as media coverage o o The first achievement from Holmer Green First School, was 62% car use in 2000 down to 26% car use in 2001. 80% of pupils are now signed up to the scheme. During 2003, car use is being maintained at 26%. o Other schools have taken up Go For Gold, adapting it to suit their own circumstances. High Ash, a school in the north of the county went from 48% car use in March 2002 to 32% in May 2002. Chalfont St Giles Infant School & Nursery saw car use reduced from 57% to 7% in 2003. o As a direct result of Holmer Greens sustained walking achievements, the school was able to bid for partial funding from BCC, and now have a wet weather shelter where children can change from wet clothes, and store walking shoes. o Go For Gold has been replicated in other local authorities, with acknowledgements to Holmer Green First School and BCC. In November 2003, Gloucester CC ordered 5000 copies of the guidelines. o Children use their powers of persuasion to become involved. They are as happy to win class stars as to win incentives with monetary value, while at the same time increasing energy and fitness. No one need be excluded. o With around 74 schools taking part in Go For Gold, the resultant reductions in car use contribute to BCC car reduction target for schools. In 2003 the BCC target is 40%, and is currently on target for beating that target, at 37%.

Sustainability and Potential for Replication:

The principle of rewarding a child every time they walk to school by marking a passport is sustainable and easily replicated. Incentives offered to children are determined by the school community, and dont have to cost anything, which can ensure sustainability. The school determines when incentives are to be presented. Incentives can be stars, certificates presented during an assembly, or even house points or a class award for collecting the most gold stars. Bucks CC negotiated with District Councils to provide a free swim for each child who presented a completed passport (of 100 stamps). The children would be accompanied by a paying parent. The scheme can be adapted by each school to suit their own circumstances. Schools may arrange for pedestrian training for those children who want to sign up to Go For Gold. The information provided within the Go For Gold guidelines are meant as a guide, and are not restrictive. Although the main success with Go For Gold has been with Primary schools, there is no reason why is can not be adapted to encourage secondary school pupils to walk to school. Go For Gold continues to be supported by BCC. Achievements demonstrate its contribution to BCC car use reduction targets. Incentives continue to be reviewed and new ideas used by schools will continue to be shared. The Go For Gold principles can be adapted for use by other schools (as has been demonstrated in Bucks and other authorities) and other countries or communities.

Contact Information:

Catherine Rawas
Team Leader - Safer Routes to School
Buckinghamshire County Council
9th Floor County Hall, Walton Street, Aylesbury Bucks. HP20 1UY

UK
catherine.rawas@dfes.gsi.gov.uk
+44 1296 383957
+44 1296 383363