East Sussex County Council is helping 61 primary schools use a total of £163,500 secured through the 'walking to school' grant launched by the Government last year. The scheme gives money for 'walking buses' and other walking initiatives in primary schools.
A walking bus is a group of children who walk a safety-checked, set route to school in the morning. They are supervised by trained, police-cleared volunteers.
There are currently 23 primary schools with walking buses in the county and it is expected that these grants will nearly triple that figure.
Councillor Matthew Lock, Lead Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: "This funding will help more children keep fit and healthy and will cut congestion and pollution around their schools. This sort of initiative plays an important part in the wider battle against global warming and I look forward to seeing many more children walking to school across the county."
The Department for Transport grants of £1,000 a year will be paid in annual instalments for three years to the schools that want to set up walking buses. A smaller grant of £500 will be paid to schools that wanted to set up an alternative walking initiative.
Once adult supervisors and possible routes have been identified by schools, the County Council will begin the essential preparation for the initiatives, such as risk assessing routes, training volunteers, providing free tabards and securing insurance.
It is hoped that several new walking buses will be launched in time for Walk to School week next month.
Notes to editors
Nationally, 3,231 schools will receive funding under this scheme in 2007/08. More than 1,900 schools will receive funding for walking buses. The best estimate is that there are around 700 walking buses already. Another 1,328 schools will be setting up other walking projects.
The East Sussex primary schools that will receive grants are as follows.
£1,000 grants:
- Brede Primary School
- Hellingly Community Primary School
- Wallands Primary
- Park Mead Primary School
- Peacehaven Infant School
- Plumpton Primary School
- Ringmer Primary School
- Willingdon Primary School
- Chyngton School
- Little Common School
- Cradle Hill CP School
- Southdown Junior
- Manor School
- Hoddern Junior School
- Grays School
- Dudley Infant School
- Tollgate Community Junior School
- Motcombe Infants' School
- Ocklynge Junior School
- West Rise Community infant School
- West Rise Junior School
- Rocks Park Primary School
- Castledown Community Primary and Nursery
- Meridian Community Primary School
- Little Ridge CP School
- Parkside Community Primary School
- Robsack Wood Community Primary School
- Stone Cross School
- Elphinstone Community Primary School
- Ditchling (St. Margaret's) CE Primary School
- East Hoathly CE Primary
- South Malling CE Primary School
- Southover C E Primary School
- Bonners CE Primary School
- Northiam CE Primary School
- Salehurst CE Primary School
- Icklesham Church Of England Primary School
- Bodiam C.E. School
- Wadhurst C E Primary School
- St Paul's CE Primary School
- Sir Henry Fermor CE Primary
- Holy Cross Primary School
- St. Peter & St. Paul CE Primary Aided
- Anecy Catholic Primary School
- St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary
- St John's Meads Church of England Primary School
- St Thomas a Becket Infant School
£500 grants:
- Broad Oak Community Primary School
- Hawkes Farm Primary School
- Pashley Down Infant school
- Harlands Primary School, Uckfield
- Barcombe C of E Primary School
- Frant CEP School
- Mayfield CE Primary
- Ticehurst & Fumwell CofE Primary School
- Framfield CE Primary School
- St Mark's CE Primary School
- Groombridge St Thomas C of E School
- Rodmell Cof E Primary School
- St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School
Reference:
1406
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