Walktober
Let's get moving this Walktober!
Get moving for our wellbeing, our community and our planet.
Walktober is a challenge held each October to celebrate International Walk to School Month. School communities are encouraged to get moving for Walktober by walking, wheeling and using other active and sustainable travel as much as possible throughout the month. In Hampshire, Walktober has been run annually by Hampshire County Council's Travel Planning Team since 2016.
Over 150 Hampshire schools and settings took part this year and made a difference - for our wellbeing, our community and our planet.
Walking, wheeling, cycling, scooting, using Park and Stride or public transport reduces car use, benefits health and wellbeing, has a positive impact on the local community by reducing congestion and improves air quality.
The competitions
We asked schools and their pupils to be inspiring for Walktober and they certainly stepped up. We have loved reading the active and sustainable travel stories shared by schools and pupils. We are sure these have inspired others to give an active journey a go!
My Journey are now excited to announce our 'Walktober Winners'!
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School competition 
The Hayling College Travel Champion has told us, "As a secondary school, we take part in Walktober every year because it aligns perfectly with our vision of being a happy, healthy and high-performing community. Promoting active, sustainable travel is a key part of our Climate Action Plan and is especially important for us as an island school, where raising awareness of environmental responsibility and educating our wider community really matters. This year, with the initiative fully embraced by our House Leaders and supported by pupils and families, we were overjoyed to win Walktober.”
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Pupil competition winners
As you can see we had some wonderful pupil competition entries which included:
- Poems and reports explaining the benefit of active travel to our health (physical and mental), the environment and our finances.
- Write ups on how active travel makes us feel – energised, relaxed, connected, calm etc.
- Photo collages and maps showing challenges undertaken - such as leisure time walks and bike rides – including route planning, weather checking, consideration of appropriate clothing/accessories etc.
- Beautiful stories about mindful walks to school – connecting with the world around us: finding worms, pine cones and observing the leaves changing colours through the month.
- Lovely drawings using conkers, acorns and leaves collected on active trips.
- Reports on taking the bus to school – how to take a bus and how travelling this way creates quiet time for reading a book or observing the world around us.
- Scavenger hunts - spotting an object each day of the school journey, helping to get to know the local area.
- And even a video reel of a pupil telling a Halloween themed joke each day of Walktober whilst travelling actively to school (in all weathers)!
Both competitions are fully funded by the UK Government.
#Walktober will be back in October!