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February 14, 2023A popular active travel campaign saw almost 9,500 people in Paisley take part across the six-week game, with players travelling more than 81,000 miles on foot, by scooter or by bike.
Beat the Street Paisley placed beat boxes around a mile apart across the town on which local people could tap their game cards and collect points for their school or community team.
Twenty-one primary schools in Paisley joined the game, with 52% of school pupils taking part alongside their teachers, parents and carers, and Todholm Primary amassed the most points, while St Paul’s Primary had the highest average points total.
Across the local community, a total of 18 teams took part and the Wild Girls picked up the top prize in both the total points and highest average points categories.
The evaluation report of the game has shown that 9,455 children and adults took part by walking, wheeling or cycling, with a 6% reduction in adult car travel per day and a saving of more than 22 tonnes of CO2 emissions during the game period.
After taking part in the game, 46% of adults and 43% of children no longer considered themselves inactive and the majority of adults and children reported that they had improved mental health and felt encouraged to explore new areas of their community they now felt connected to.
Councillor Michelle Campbell, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “Beat the Street was a fantastic project within Paisley, having already been successful in eight of our towns and villages when the game was first played in Renfrewshire.
“It makes people more active, gives them an incentive to get out and about in their local community and it was great to see so many people involved.
“The take up from schools in the area was great and although initially it may have been the pupils leading the way asking for an evening walk, I know many parents and carers became just as, if not more, competitive than their little ones!
“I hope that people have been continuing to get out walking or cycling for fun or for the school run after the game ended and if people are looking for another programme to take part in then they can join our Not Far? Leave the Car campaign which turns points into discounts at local businesses – just check out our website for details.”
Beat the Street is designed to increase active travel and physical activity levels across a community and supports long-term behaviour change by making physical activity and active travel an enjoyable, integral part of everyday life.
It inspires players to participate through gamification strategies, motivating positive behaviour that, over time, becomes the daily norm.
Margaret Dalziel, Engagement Coordinator for Intelligent Health, said: “The report reflects a hugely positive Beat the Street game in Paisley.
“As well as a huge uplift in physical activity, improved mental health of participants and reduced car use, it’s wonderful to see the positive feedback from participants.
“We hope everyone is proud of what was achieved in Paisley, all of which was thanks to partnership working and community efforts and I hope we can continue to build on the positive lifestyle benefits in the future.”
For more information, visit www.beatthestreet.me/paisley.
