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South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard has launched his second Walk & Wheel Challenge for all primary schools in the region in a special collaboration with Living Streets.
This year’s challenge builds on the successful Mayor’s Walk & Wheel Challenge in 2024, part of the Mayor’s Year of Active Travel. In total, 78 schools across South Yorkshire were involved in last year’s event.
The Walk & Wheel Challenge encourages every primary school child in South Yorkshire to walk, wheel or cycle to school each day to become more active and healthier. This forms part of the Mayor’s key manifesto – commitment to make South Yorkshire the best place in the country to walk, wheel and cycle – with an ambitious plan for active travel with schools at its heart.
Prizes for participation
The Mayor’s Walk & Wheel Challenge 2025 takes place during Living Streets’ national Walk to School Week, between Monday, May 19 and Friday, May 23, 2025.
This unique South Yorkshire collaboration means that the first 100 South Yorkshire primary schools joining the challenge will receive a free resource pack for KS1 and KS2 classes – including stickers, activity tracking charts, bookmarks and fun activity sheets.
The South Yorkshire challenge will also include a prize draw for participating schools to win scooters, bikes and cycling workshops with Ed Clancy, South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “Our children deserve the best start in life, and helping kids build activity into their everyday life is a big part of how we will reach that goal.
“We know that giving children the freedom and choice to move more and move differently can help build a strong foundation for an active lifestyle, encouraging young people to develop healthy habits.
Partnerships for amplified impact
Commenting on the collective effort of the 2025 campaign, the Mayor states: “I’m delighted we’ve been able to work with Living Streets to develop a unique approach to their national Walk to School Week campaign here in South Yorkshire, through my Walk and Wheel Challenge.
“Not only will this partnership make materials and resources more accessible to primary schools right across South Yorkshire, it will also support our young people, families and schools to see walking, scooting and cycling to school as an obvious first choice.”
The five-day Walk and Wheel Challenge involves encouraging every primary school-aged child in the region to choose to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ to school each day.
Walk to School Week is organised by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, as part of their National Walking Month campaign each May.
This year’s challenge will see pupils take on The Great Space Walk. Meeting various colourful intergalactic friends along the way, pupils will learn via daily themes about the important reasons to walk or wheel, including mental well-being, physical health, sustainability, road safety and community benefits.
Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive, Living Streets, said: “Walk to School Week is a wonderful opportunity for pupils across the UK to celebrate the many benefits of walking and wheeling to school.
Schools that take part can enjoy reduced congestion and pollution, while children reap the benefits of being active and spending quality time with friends and family.
We are delighted South Yorkshire schools are at the front of the queue to join us this Walk to School Week and hope they inspire others to get involved this May.”
Talking about the campaign, its aims, and the impact this has, South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner, Ed Clancy OBE, said: “The Mayor’s Walk and Wheel Challenge is back, and this year it’s even bigger and better with Living Streets. Walking, wheeling, and cycling have so many benefits, and schools are key to making them part of everyday life.”
“Every child should have the freedom to choose whether to walk, scoot, or bike to school—it keeps them active and builds healthy habits for life in their formative years”. Clancy continues, “We’re encouraging kids across South Yorkshire to move more, try new ways of getting around, and make everyday journeys healthier and happier.”
To sign up or find out more information about the Mayors Walk & Wheel Challenge, visit the SYMCA website.
