'Interactive park walks' launched in Slough to fight obesity

The walks use QR codes to educate residents about their local parks - explaining the route and the health benefits of doing the walk, including number of steps and calories that can be burned up.

The council’s public health team has extended its work with Active Movement, Slough primary schools and Slough early years to launch the walks.

Working closely with Active Slough and the council’s parks team, the new interactive park walks use “QR codes” to educate residents about their local park, the benefits of reducing sedentary behaviour and the lifetime benefits of being more active.

This ambitious initiative comes as a direct result of the success of the Active Movement programme which is taking place across 44 different setting in Slough, and has contributed towards an increase in physical activity, increase in strength and reduction of waist circumference of children.

These interactive walks have been officially launched in Salt Hill Park, Kennedy Park, Upton Lea Recreation Ground and Upton Court Park.

From now until the end of the month, residents will have the chance of winning a prize by answering six questions that are embedded in the QR codes on each of the walks. There is a prize draw for a Slough primary school and a Slough early years setting, as well over 100 pedometers for residents that are selected from the draw.

Councillor Natasa Pantelic, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “More than a third of children in England are overweight or obese by the time they finish primary school and in Slough 41.0% of year six students are overweight or obese.

“Low levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour also lead to a reduction in academic performance, concentration and behaviour in children, so it is increasingly important to get children active at the earliest age possible.”

For more information, please email publichealthslough@slough.gov.uk or visit www.publichealthslough.co.uk/campaigns/active-park-walks