Beat The Street Returns to Reading
- Popular Beat The Street game returns to Reading this month, where it all began
- It encourages residents to make small lifestyle choices, such as walking or cycling to school or work
- Initiative ties in with Council push to reduce carbon emissions in Reading and tackle poor air quality which impacts on the health of residents
BEAT The Street, the popular interactive game that turns whole communities into a giant activity competition, will return to south and east of Reading.
Beat the Street encourages communities to move more and to make small lifestyle changes, such as walking or cycling to school or work every day. The competitive element of the game helps people to get involved, go one step further and really work together to walk, cycle, run and scoot for points. The game will begin in south and east Reading from Wednesday 25th September, until Wednesday 6th November.
As well as making a significant impact on increasing low levels of physical activity among adults and children, the game helps reduce congestion, improve air quality, and helps families spend time in green spaces together. Some participants report that it even helps with maths and map-reading.
Lead Councillor for Public Health and Education at Reading Borough Council, Ruth McEwan, said:
“We are so excited that Beat the Street is returning to Reading, the town where the whole initiative started. As the people of the Reading know, Beat the Street is a fun way of encouraging people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to get active and to explore the town on foot.
“Beat the Street not only aims to enhance fitness levels but also serves as a catalyst for bolstering community spirit. The competition is open to anyone of any age and is free. Sign up and get involved and see how far we can go.”
John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, added:
“It is great that young people are being encouraged to cycle, walk and scoot around Reading while having fun.
“The Beat the Street scheme complements the Council’s many initiatives to promote active travel in the borough and reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality and benefit the health and wellbeing of residents.”
Children use a card and map which will be provided by participating primary schools, and adults can pick up a free card from one of the distribution points listed on the Beat the Street Reading South and East website which will go live shortly at www.beatthestreet.me/readingse Alternatively, players over the age of 13 can download the free Beat the Street app to play the game on their phone.
Players can join a school, community, workplace team and there are prizes for the teams that travel the furthest, with vouchers for books and sports equipment on offer. With an individual leaderboard, lucky ‘spot’ prizes just for taking part, and the opportunity to help selected local charities win cash prizes, there’s something for everyone. For schools and community teams, there is a total points leaderboard and an average leaderboard, so opportunities for teams of all sizes to win prizes.
Beat the Street was created by Reading GP Dr William Bird MBE, a specialist in physical activity, to encourage people to explore their local areas and to make exercise fun. The game initially took place several times in Reading before reaching more than 168 locations across the UK and some 1.9 million players.
Beat the Street Reading South & East is being delivered by Intelligent Health and is funded by Reading Borough Council, Eden Project, Natural England, and the National Lottery via Sport England.
More information will be available at www.beatthestreet.me/readingse and on social media at @BTSReadingSE
Notes to editors
How to play
To play, you can use a card or our Beat the Street App (Age 13+).
- Create your Beat the Street account on our website at beatthestreet.me/readingse or by downloading our Beat the Street App via Google Play or the App Store.
- Add family members, and register a card to player profiles. Set up a team or join an existing one.
- Start your journey. Find your nearest Beat Box using a paper or digital map and hover your card at the contactless Beat Box until it beeps and flashes. If playing with the app, tap the Beat Box icon on your phone and swipe to collect points.
- Visit two Beat Boxes within an hour and collect 10 points for each Beat Box – this is 20 points for the journey.
- Carry on your journey. Score 10 points for each extra Beat Box you visit.
By playing with the Beat the Street App, you get access to exclusive features! Collect gems, choose an avatar to represent you in-game and raise the competition in your team leaderboards.
About the game’s founder:
Dr William Bird MBE set up Intelligent Health to build healthier, active and more connected communities. He is an advisor to the World Health Organisation, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and Sport England. William has been awarded an MBE for his contribution to health and physical activity.