School's Park and Stride is healthy living hit
10 Jul 2018 09:18
A Stockport school is urging parents to stop off at the pub every morning and afternoon, but Cheadle Hulme School has healthy living in mind with the launch of its Park and Stride scheme.
After running a successful pilot project during the summer term, parents will continue to be invited to park at the Hesketh pub on Hulme Hall Road rather than dropping off at the school gates.
The pub has made 30 spaces available for both the morning drop off and afternoon pick up in the hope of easing congestion around the Claremont Road campus, as well as encouraging families to get more active. The popular eatery is five minutes walk from the independent school.
According to Martyn Mancey-Johnson, senior operations manager, Cheadle Hulme School, who initiated the scheme, the benefits are numerous.
"Parents have told us that when using the Park and Stride, the school run is not only faster, but less stressful," he said.
According to Mancey-Johnson, both students and local residents will benefit from an improvement in air quality around the school and parents and students are also feeling the benefit of the short walk at the start and end of each day.
"A parent who uses the Park and Stride with their child every day will clock up an extra 136 miles on foot each year," he said.
Crossing patrols are in place at Upton Avenue and School Lane to ensure the safety of older students who choose to make the 0.2 mile journey unaccompanied.
Almost 80 percent of students at the co-educational day school live more than five miles away. Eighty three percent of junior school pupils travel to and from school each day by car.
Mancey-Johnson said: "The school opened in 1855 and the Hesketh pub in 1864, so this is a partnership between two cornerstones of Cheadle Hulme life.
"Our school has an historic Victorian campus which was built long before the popularisation of the car. In order to respect our neighbours, our school travel plan sets out to keep congestion around pick up and drop off times to a minimum.
"I am delighted with the impact of the trial and I look forward to even more people taking advantage of the Park and Stride next academic year."
Kate Evans, marketing manager for Almond Family Pubs, which operates the Hesketh said: "We were very interested to get involved with the scheme and it has worked out really successfully. The times the school use the car park suit our peak trading hours and we love welcoming the local families in after school and at weekend"
A spokesperson from Stockport Council said: “It’s great to see local businesses such as The Hesketh supporting the Park and Stride initiative.
"It means that pupils travelling by car can park a short walk away from school and help to reduce congestion outside the school gates, making the area safer.”
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