Park Buggy Walks will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summer holidays. Eight sessions will be offered with each session lasting 1.5 hours. These will be open to families in Crawley with children who are 7 years and under. The walks will take place in two local parks in Crawley and will involve following a suitable footpath whilst taking the time to notice nature. WSCC will provide fitness instructors who will lead the groups in short bursts of exercise at checkpoints along the route. Scavenger hunts and other activities will give children an opportunity to explore the natural environment. We want to inspire families to spend more time outside being physically active and will empower them to continue the walks in their own family times. We will do this by familiarising them with the parks and the routes. If successful, we hope to continue Park Buggy Walks during other school holidays throughout the year.

What we'll deliver:

• In 8 x 1.5 hour sessions throughout the summer holidays, families in Crawley will be offered guided walks in local parks
• They will be taught routes to walk, simple exercises to do and about identifying things in the natural environment
• This is part of a West Sussex County Council, Crawley wide campaign targeting obesity in 10 and 11 year old children
• We want to inspire families to be more active and to spend more time outside enjoying the natural environment.
• The benefits of this will be improved physical and mental wellbeing.

Why it's a great idea:

32.4% of Year 6 children in Crawley are measured as overweight or obese which is above the West Sussex total of 20.5%. Deprivation in parts of Crawley is a contributing factor. 78% of children in Crawley at the end of reception have attained the Early Years Foundation Stage score for ‘Understanding the world’ compared with 85% of children in West Sussex as a total. Park Buggy Walks will give children the opportunity to be more physically active and thereby helping to reduce obesity. Exploring the natural environment will help to improve their understanding of the world. Over 50% of the referrals made to the IPEH service are for families where there is a need for mental health support - Park Buggy Walks will also help to improve mental wellbeing. Walking for Wellbeing is pleased to be part of the WSCC IPEH Task Group who are working with partner organisations in Crawley to promote healthy eating and lifestyles. This is imperative for the families of Crawley.

Steps to get it done:

• The first Park Buggy Walk will take place on Tuesday 7th August 2018

We will inspire families to continue to use local parks for physical activities so that they maintain the benefits they will experience whilst participating in Park Buggy Walks.