A popular interactive game that turns whole communities into a giant activity competition is set to launch in Edmonton.
Beat the Street encourages communities to move more and to make small lifestyle changes, such as walking or cycling to school or work. The competitive element of the game helps people to get involved to work together to learn about the local area and gather points for prizes.
As well as making a significant impact on increasing low levels of physical activity amongst adults and children, the game also helps families spend time in green spaces together and can improve key skills such as map-reading and team-building.
The game is open to anyone of any age who would like to take part across Edmonton from 12 June to 24 July.
The Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Cllr Alev Cazimoglu, said: “It’s free to take part in Beat the Street and it’s open to everyone regardless of age, ability or background. It’s an inclusive and compelling game that encourages you to exercise in a fun way with friends and family, plus it’s a great way of getting to know your local area.
“We want to support our local communities to access fun, free and high-quality services to improve their health ambitions and to enable more active lifestyles. This is also an opportunity for people to find out more about Edmonton, which is being transformed by public artwork, more green open spaces and of course, the massive regeneration project at Meridian Water.”
Children use a card and map which will be provided by participating primary schools to locate Beat Boxes around Edmonton. Adults and young people can also register online or download the app to their phones.
Once the game is underway, players find their nearest Beat Boxes and accumulate points as they discover them. There will be more than 40 sensors that record each players’ point tally by simply hovering their player cards over the boxes.
Players can join a school, community or workplace team and there are many prizes on offer. Points can be checked on a leader board, online.
Beat the Street Edmonton has been commissioned by Enfield Council and is funded by London Marathon Active Spaces, Canal and River Trust, and the National Lottery via Sport England. It is being delivered by Intelligent Health.
The game was created by GP Dr William Bird MBE, a specialist in physical activity, to encourage people to explore their local areas and to make exercise fun. It has been played by more than 1.8 million people in 168 locations in the UK
More information is available on the Beat The Street website here and on social media at @BTSEdmonton