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Helping children get active in their neighbourhood
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Posted: 07/05/2009
ALBURY-Wodonga Bandits captain Matt de Koeyer will help support local primary school students to get active in their neighbourhoods through Wodonga Council's Streets Ahead program.
Mr de Koeyer was chosen as the Streets Ahead Champion because he grew up locally and is an active leader in the community. The 23-year-old said he often rode his bike to primary school because he lived too far out of town to walk.
“I also grew up playing football and basketball, and find sport is a fun way to keep active,” Mr de Koeyer said. “Children have plenty of energy to burn and Streets Ahead is about giving them back their freedom to be independently mobile in their neighbourhood.”
Wodonga Council is one of six Victorian councils to receive VicHealth funding to implement the Streets Ahead program until June, 2011. The council's project focuses on a particular area of Wodonga, which encompasses four schools including Belvoir Special Development School, Melrose Primary School, St Monica's Primary School and Wodonga West Primary School.
Project co-ordinator Kat Bennett said the main aim of Streets Ahead is to increase physical activity in children aged between four and12 years old through active transport.
“One of the main initiatives of Streets Ahead is Walk Safely To School Day on Friday, May 15,” she said.
“We want to get more primary school students walking or cycling to school, and want to make their trip safe and interesting along the way. Various studies have shown that the neighbourhood environment can be an extremely important component to enable children to attain the necessary level of physical activity.
“The more time children are able to spend outdoors, the more they are likely to be physically active.”
Ms Bennett said the council wants to work with the community to create these supportive environments and is looking for volunteers to join the Neighbourhood Action Team (NAT).
“The NAT would work together to create better and safer routes for children to get around using green transport methods such as walking and cycling,” she said.
There will be an information session held in conjunction with the Walk Safely To School Day celebration at Willow Park (near the kiosk) on Friday, May 15 from 7.30am to 8.30am. If you would like to know more or put your name down for the NAT, phone Ms Bennett on (02) 6022 9338.
