Promoting safe, active and sustainable travel
A local nursery in Hove has been presented with an award in recognition of the work they have done to promote safe and sustainable travel. Footsteps Day Nursery in Hove has made significant progress in encouraging children and their families to walk, cycle or scoot their way to nursery.
The honour was announced recently at the Modeshift STARS national awards event held at the Houses of Parliament. It is the second time a Brighton & Hove nursery has received the national award, with Footsteps Portslade having received the award in 2018.
About the awards
Modeshift STARS, which is supported by the Department for Transport, is the national school travel awards scheme that has been established to recognise schools that have demonstrated excellence in supporting walking, cycling and other forms of sustainable travel for the journey to and from school.
Initiatives which helped the nursery win the award include:
- practicing road safety training with the children
- scooter and balance bike training
- trips out to the bus station
The nursery also lobbied for a safer crossing point near the nursery to help with crossing to and from the bus stop opposite.
Leading the way
Footsteps Hove have been highly engaged with Modeshift STARS from the start and were the first early years setting in the country outside London to achieve Gold accreditation. Their hard work and dedication to STARS has inspired other early years’ settings. Two Footsteps Day Nurseries in Brighton & Hove have achieved Gold STARS and the third nursery has achieved Silver and is working towards Gold.
Hannah Moss, co-owner of Footsteps Day Nurseries says: “We are delighted to have been awarded the Modeshift STARS National Early Years Establishment of the Year. Everyone at the Footsteps Nurseries is proud of our achievements in promoting active and sustainable travel and we are very pleased to have received this recognition.”
Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, Councillor Gill Mitchell said: “It is great to see a local nursery being commended for the work they are doing to promote safe, active and sustainable travel in Brighton & Hove.
“Footsteps have implemented a number of excellent initiatives to get more children and their families taking active travel to and from nursery. Many of our local nurseries and schools are signed up to the Modeshift STARS awards and I hope this encourages others to sign up.
“We know that walking, cycling and scooting to school, makes children happier and healthier. It also helps improve air quality in the city by taking cars off the roads and reducing congestion.”