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Families across South Tyneside are being encouraged to do their bit for their health and that of the planet as part of a new challenge.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ is once again running the Active Travel Challenge to encourage schoolchildren and their parents or carers as well as school staff to leave the car behind and walk, wheel or scoot to school.

All primary and SEN schools are being encouraged to take part in the challenge which will run throughout the month of June.

Councillor Jane Carter, Lead Member for Education and Skills, said: "Choosing a more sustainable way to get to and from school is not only great for our young people, it also reduces our impact on the planet.

"Active travel also supports young people to develop their road safety skills, while tackling congestion and improving air quality around schools.

"Taking part in South Tyneside's Active Travel Challenge can make the journey to school a lot more enjoyable and has proven benefits on mental wellbeing, meaning that children can enter the classroom with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. I am grateful to all the school leaders and their teams who took part in the challenge last year to support this important work and hope we see even more schools involved this year."

Last year Stanhope Primary in South Shields won the challenge and used the prize money to invite a cycling charity - Everybody's Cycling - into school earlier this year to run a host of cycling-based activities for pupils and staff.

To take part in the challenge, schools just need to use #STactivetravelchallenge23when sharing photos and videos on Twitter or Facebook to show how children, parents/guardians and teaching staff are applying active travel on the school run and beyond. The posts should highlight the environmental and health benefits of active travel.

The schools with the best selection of engaging and innovative posts will be in with the best chance of winning, with a top prize of £2,000 and £500 for the best two runners-up.

Councillor Margaret Meling, Lead Member for Economic Growth and Transport added: "With the warmer weather, this is the perfect opportunity for the whole family to get involved in the challenge. Whether this be walking to the shops, cycling to visit friends or scooting to the park, this will all help to increase schools' chances in winning the active travel prizes. I'd encourage as many schools as possible to get on board and do their bit for our young people's health and the planet."

To find out how schools responded last year, search for #stactivetravelchallenge in the Facebook search bar.