THE children at Wembdon St George’s Church School have been feeling the benefits of a new campaign to reduce car use to school.

For three weeks from Monday, September 24 to Friday, October 8, the school participated in a Bridgwater-wide travel challenge where pupils and staff recorded how they journeyed to school and were awarded points for walking, scooting and cycling.

Even if children lived too far from school to walk, scoot or cycle all the way, points were also awarded for pupils who would ‘Park and Stride’ (drive the first part of the journey, park somewhere safely and considerately, and walk for the final five to10 minutes), or car-shared.

Points were also scored for travelling by bus.

The overall score for the school was logged each day and the school travelling most actively over the challenge period won £750 to put towards anything of their choosing.

The challenge was organised by the Bridgwater Way initiative which aims to encourage businesses, schools and residents to walk and cycle to improve health and wellbeing as well as reduce the much-publicised congestion in the town.

On Tuesday, October 23, Helen Bonner from the Bridgwater Way project visited the school to present them with a cheque for £750.