Beat the Street is back in Rhondda Cynon Taf
Beat the Street – the hugely popular physical activity initiative that had more than 300,000 walking and cycling in 2016 – is set to return to Rhondda Cynon Taf this May!
Once again, for seven weeks from Wednesday 17th May, Beat the Street will transform Aberdare, Mountain Ash, Pontypridd, Porth, Tonypandy and Treorchi into an interactive game with local people rewarded with points and prizes for getting moving across their community.
More than 200 beeping and flashing sensors called Beat Boxes will be dotted across the area which people can tap with cards to track their journey. In doing so, they will receive points and win prizes either for their chosen school, community group or as individuals.
Beat the Street is being brought to Rhondda Cynon Taf by the National Charity Partnership, a partnership between Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Tesco who are working together to help millions of people improve their health through physical activity and health eating programmes.
Jenna Hall, programme director for the National Charity Partnership, said: “Beat the Street is a fun game that brings whole communities together. It encourages families to get involved in active travel and we hope these changes will continue long after the game has finished.”
In 2016, the community game saw local people join in with Beat the Street, walking and cycling 65,000 miles – more than 12 times the length of The Great Wall of China. People living and working in Rhondda Cynon Taf are being challenged to beat last year’s distance and go even further in 2017. This year’s game is even bigger with more Beat Boxes across Rhondda and new, exciting prizes enabling even more people to take part.
The game proved to be hugely popular for families in Rhondda such the Paul family who played the game together and found it helped keep them all activd. Hayley Paul, said: “I never exercised at all, I would just be sitting in the house. But when Beat the Street came about it really made me get up and about and think about things. We’ve done so much together which we wouldn’t have done before – I think Beat the Street is a fab idea as it has got the children and parents more active.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWMw_7mEWCo&t=9s
Follow Beat the Street RCT on Facebook or on Twitter (@BTSRCT) to find out more about the game.
The National Charity Partnership is funding Beat the Street in Rhondda Cynon Taf as part of its Let’s Do This campaign to help people improve their lifestyle and reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart and circulatory disease. To find out more visit www.lets-dothis.org.uk
About the National Charity Partnership:
- Diabetes UK the British Heart Foundation and Tesco are working together to help change the nation’s health for the better.
- In Wales today, around 224,000 people are living with Type 2 diabetes, with a further 576,000 at increased risk of the condition. In addition to sight loss and nerve damage, diabetes can increase the risk of heart and circulatory disease. There are an estimated 375,000 people living with heart and circulatory disease in Wales today, with many more at serious risk
- The partnership aims to help people to reduce their risk of developing heart and circulatory disease and Type 2 diabetes, both of which are largely preventable.
- The partnership aims to raise £30 million by 2018. Half of the money, which is mainly raised by Tesco colleagues, will be spent directly by the partnership on projects to help prevent Type 2 diabetes and heart and circulatory disease. The remaining funds will be split equally between Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation.
- By supporting people across the UK to reduce their risk of developing either condition, the partnership will help to give them a greater chance of a healthier and longer life.
- For more information about the National Charity Partnership visit www.tescocharitypartnership.org.uk
About Diabetes UK:
- Diabetes UK is the leading UK diabetes charity with a mission to bring people together to work in partnership, support those living with diabetes, prevent Type 2 diabetes, make research breakthroughs, and ultimately find a cure
- Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly. If not managed well, both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating complications. Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age in the UK and is a major cause of lower limb amputation, kidney failure and cardiovascular disease
- For more information on all aspects of diabetes and access to Diabetes UK activities and services, visit www.diabetes.org.uk
- For more information on reporting on diabetes, download our journalists’ guide: www.diabetes.org.uk/journalists-guide
About The British Heart Foundation:
For over 50 years we’ve pioneered research that’s transformed the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions. Our work has been central to the discoveries of vital treatments that are changing the fight against heart disease. But so many people still need our help. From babies born with life-threatening heart problems to the many Mums, Dads and Grandparents who survive a heart attack and endure the daily battles of heart failure. Join our fight for every heartbeat in the UK. Every pound raised, minute of your time and donation to our shops will help make a difference to people’s lives. For more information on the BHF, visit www.bhf.org.uk
