Giant outdoor game gets thousands of people moving in Edmonton

Street

Eight thousand, three hundred and seventy five players have clocked 36,231 miles in just six weeks (12 June to 24 July) by walking, cycling, scooting and wheeling as part of Beat the Street (BTS), a programme designed to encourage active transport in Edmonton.

The game, which aims to encourage people to travel more actively in a fun and engaging way, drew to a close on 24 July.

Enfield school children, businesses, families and individual players have been visiting specially installed Beat Boxes spread across Edmonton to gain points and climb up the BTS leaderboards. This has encouraged people of all ages to participate in one of the biggest interactive games to have come to Enfield.

The aim of BTS is to get people active, boosting their physical and mental health. In a survey conducted by the organisers Intelligent Health, 50% of the Enfield registered players said they would previously class themselves as “inactive”. It is hoped that the game will inspire people to stay healthy and choose more active options when travelling locally.

Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care, Cllr Alev Cazimoglu, said: “We are thrilled with the game's results, particularly seeing how it has benefited thousands of residents' lives. Beat the Street has brought many positives for the community and is an example of Enfield Council's efforts to improve the health of our residents.

“We want our residents to lead healthy lives and Beat the Street has shown people how they can do that in a fun, sociable way. People have been travelling from all across the borough to play BTS and explore some of Edmonton's beautiful areas. The game has left behind a legacy to inspire all our residents to get outdoors and improve their health whilst having fun with their friends and families.”

Beat the Street Edmonton was commissioned by Enfield Council and was funded by London Marathon Active Spaces, Canal & River Trust, and the National Lottery via Sport England. It was delivered by Intelligent Health.

The game had 8,375 players. The locations of the Beat Boxes were strategically placed to encourage people to explore Edmonton, taking in new public art works, murals, cycle paths and green spaces.

Since the completion of BTS, the Council alongside its partners will work together to continue the game’s success by providing a series of summer events and activities to encourage residents to get outdoors and stay active.

In September, Enfield Council and Intelligent Health will announce the winning Beat the Street Edmonton primary school with a special award ceremony.

You can find all the details about the game and the list of events on offer on the Beat the Street website.

If you are looking for fun, active things to do this summer, many of them for free, take a look at our Enfield Summer Programme listings here

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