Lisburn residents goes the extra mile with Beat the Street
September 12, 2017
People who live, work or go to school across Lisburn, Belfast, Newtownabbey and Holywood are being encouraged to team up and join in with a free, fun physical activity initiative to win up to £1,000 worth of Decathlon vouchers for their work, recreation or school team.
Last autumn nearly 34,000 people took part in Beat the Street Northern Ireland funded by the National Charity Partnership – a partnership between Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Tesco.
Kicking off on 13 September, Beat the Street is a popular seven-week walking and cycling programme that hopes to inspire thousands of people of all ages to get moving by transforming their area into an interactive game. Players receive points for how far they walk, run or cycle and the top three teams who travel the farthest will win £1,000, £500 or £250 worth of Decathlon vouchers.
Over the next few days, special sensors called Beat Boxes will start to appear on lampposts, going live from 13th September players can then start tapping and collecting points as they travel from Beat Box to Beat Box.
The Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh Councillor Tim Morrow commented: "We’re delighted that Beat the Street has returned to the Lisburn area. Last year thousands of local residents, of all ages took part exploring their own communities and beyond. I encourage everyone to get involved in this fantastic, free initiative to help us become more active in a fun way."
Anyone wanting to get involved can pick up a Beat the Street card and map from their local distribution point (full details at www.beatthesteet.me/ni) Players register their card online and choose a local school, business or community group they would like to support. Alternatively, people can create their own teams with friends or colleagues. To set up a team contact team.ni@beatthestreet.me or follow Beat the Street NI on Facebook and Twitter.
Jenna Hall, programme director for the National Charity Partnership, said: “We’re very excited to be bringing Beat the Street back to Northern Ireland. With over £5,000 worth of prizes up for grabs, we are sure that lots of people will get involved.
“Not only can you help your school or organisation win prizes, Beat the Street helps people to explore their local areas and discover new places. Walking just half an hour a day to work, school or the shops is a great way for people to improve their health.”
The National Charity Partnership is funding Beat the Street in Northern Ireland as part of its Let’s Do This campaign to help people improve their lifestyle and reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart and circulatory disease. To find out more visit www.lets-dothis.org.uk