An invitation to play Beat the Street Dudley
The Beat the Street Dudley game has launched with more than 13,700 participants signing up already and together walking, cycling, and rolling their way to more than 11,500 miles.
Beat the Street is a free, interactive game that encourages people of all ages to move more and to get active; it started on Wednesday 29 June and takes place until Wednesday 10 August to coincide with the Commonwealth Games.
As well as helping people create healthier lifestyle habits, it also improves air quality, congestion and pollution, and connects people to their communities and green spaces.
More than 250 beeping and flashing sensors called ‘Beat Boxes’ have been placed on lampposts around the borough for the duration of the game to help participants explore the local area and all it has to offer and to develop the habit of regular exercise.
Primary school pupils have been provided with cards and a map while wider community can pick up a contactless card from one of he distribution points which are listed on the website at www.beatthestreet.me/dudley
Players then walk, cycle or roll between the contactless Beat Boxes which are spaced approximately half a mile apart – hovering their cards over the Beat Boxes to score points. The further players travel, the more points they score for their community or school team. The first Beat Box you hover your card over marks the start of your journey. Walk, cycle, roll, run or scoot to the next one and score 10 points.
There are leaderboards for schools, community teams and charity teams and each is divided into total and average points to ensure that smaller teams are in with an equal chance of winning.
The first week of the game is themed ‘Go Play’ for players to get to grips with the rules and subsequent weeks have a different focus, from Go Explore to Go Wild and Go Travel.
Beat the Street Dudley has been commissioned by Dudley Council and the Canal and River Trust with support from the National Lottery via Sport England. It is being delivered by Intelligent Health.
Councillor Ian Bevan, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said:
Beat the Street provides an incredible opportunity to support children and their families to become active as a habit, through a fun and friendly competition.
We’re delighted that the game will give everyone of ages and abilities the opportunity to explore the area, to spend time together as a family and to enjoy walking, cycling and rolling outdoors in all the wonderful green spaces in our borough. It’s free and open to anyone of any age – why not pick up a card and get involved?
More information is available at www.beatthestreet.me/dudley and on social media at @BTSDudley