A number of East Lothian's towns will be transformed into a giant game this Autumn as residents are encouraged to get walking and cycling for Beat the Street.
Running from 11 September to 23 October, Beat the Street will see schools, workplaces and community groups compete to see how far they can travel in return for points and hundreds of pounds worth of prizes.
Beat the Street is a great opportunity to get outdoors, spend time with your friends and family and get moving.
More than 40 beeping and flashing sensors called Beat Boxes will appear on lampposts across Musselburgh, Wallyford, Whitecraig, Prestonpans, Longniddry and Cockenzie and Port Seton. Players tap the Beat Boxes with free cards and key fobs to track their journeys and earn points for themselves and their team – the more Beat Boxes people swipe while walking or cycling, the more points they earn.
Schools, workplaces and community groups across the area will be competing against each other to see if they can travel the furthest during the six-week challenge, top the leaderboards and take home hundreds of pounds worth of prizes. Primary schools across the ‘Beat Box’ towns will be handing out free maps and cards before the game begins while the wider community can pick up their own Beat the Street card via distribution points: First Step Community Project, Longniddry Library, Musselburgh Library, Port Seton Library, Prestonpans Library and Wallyford Library.
Workplaces and community groups are encouraged to join the game and enter their team by contacting team.eastlothian@beatthestreet.me. In addition, the leaderboard prizes, registered players can win weekly prizes including sport and fitness vouchers, Beat the Street branded goodies and even cuddly toys. Four local charities – Walk with Scott Foundation, Beach Wheelchairs, Changes CHP and Cycling Beyond Age – will also benefit from the initiative.
The game has already had more than one million participants worldwide. Previous games have taken place in South Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire and Glasgow where more than 5,000 families took part. East Lothian is the first authority in the Lothians area to introduce the game.
Beat the Street is delivered by Intelligent Health on behalf of East Lothian Council with funding from the Scottish Government’s Smarter Choices, Smarter Places and the Musselburgh and Preston, Seton, Gosford Area Partnerships.
East Lothian Council’s Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment, Councillor Norman Hampshire, said: “We’re really excited to be bringing Beat the Street to the wider Musselburgh and Prestonpans areas and seeing how many miles the community can run, walk, cycle and scoot during the six weeks.
“Anyone living, working or studying in the area is invited to play – it’s completely free and is a great opportunity to get outdoors, spend time with your friends and family and get moving. Watch out for Beat Boxes popping up in the communities soon, pick up a card and get involved.”
Want to find out more about Beat the Street? Visit the dedicated website for more information or follow the action on twitter @BTSEastLothian.