Pupils at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Harwich were able to glow on the go after Barratt Homes’ hi-vis donation for Walk to School Month in October.
The Chelmsford-based housebuilder gave the school 35 hi-vis kit bags for its pupils to use whilst walking to and from school, in order to ensure they are easily seen on the roads as the darker nights draw in.
Walk to School Month takes place during October each year and encourages pupils to celebrate the journey to school on foot.
Rebecca Maguire, Headteacher at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, said: “The pupils were thrilled to receive the hi-vis bags; we’re delighted knowing they will stay seen and safe this winter.”
Findings from the Department for Transport, following the National Travel Survey, identified that 49% of children between the ages of five and 10-years-old walked to school in 2022.
The donation from the homebuilder, based close to the school at its Languard View development in Dovercourt, was designed to encourage pupils to stay active whilst making certain they remained visible during the darker nights and mornings.
Walking to school benefits children and their parents by increasing exercise and saving money on fuel, and it can even increase social interaction with other families who choose to walk to school and prevent stress by not driving during the rush hour.
Tom Wright, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Eastern Counties, said: “Walk to School Month is a campaign that we will always actively support, as the safety of pupils walking to and from school is of utmost importance.
“We have a number of families moving into our Languard View development, so we hope the donation of hi-vis kit bags to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School will help the pupils to continue their commute on foot now we have fewer hours of daylight.”
Barratt Homes’ hi-vis kit bags have been particularly useful during Walk to School Month, whilst being certain to benefit the pupils in their future journeys to school throughout the winter months.
