Beat the Street aims to get Eastbourne people active with the chance to win prizes
Beat the Street Eastbourne is set to take place from Wednesday September 16 to Wednesday November 4, coinciding with the launch of the Eastbourne Walking Festival that starts on Friday, September 18.
It is a free, interactive game that encourages people of all ages to move more and to get active.
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Hide AdAs well as helping people create healthier lifestyle habits, it also helps with air quality, congestion and pollution, and connects people to their communities and green spaces.
Beeping and flashing sensors called Beat Boxes will be placed on lampposts around the town 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 will be provided with fobs while parents and teachers will receive a card from the school so they can accompany children, or take part on their own.
The wider community can pick up a contactless card from one of the distribution points which are listed on the website.
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Hide AdPlayers then walk, scoot, cycle or run between the 80 Beat Boxes which are spaced half a mile apart – hovering their fobs or 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 two weeks of the game form part of the Eastbourne Walking Festival and are themed Go Play for players to get to grips with the game. There are different themes for each week of the competition.
Darrell Gale, director of public health at East Sussex County Council, said: “Only 50 per cent of children in the borough meet the recommended guideline of 60 minutes a day of physical activity and so Beat the Street provides an opportunity to support children and their families to become active as a habit, through a fun and friendly competition.”
More information at www.beatthestreet.me/eastbourne, on social media @BTSEastbourne or www.visiteastbourne.com/walking-festival