Wolverhampton is invited to Beat the Street this summer

The popular physical activity game Beat the Street is returning to Wolverhampton next month.

The walking, running, rolling, wheeling, cycling and scooting challenge will take place across the city from Tuesday 20 July to Tuesday 17 August, encouraging friends and families to get active together.

The game forms a key part of the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Yo! Summer Festival, which will offer hundreds of events across the city, many free of charge, to keep children, young people and their families active and entertained throughout the school holidays.

Residents who took part in Beat the Street when it was last held in Wolverhampton in 2017 will be familiar with the unique game, which invites teams to score points by travelling as far as possible within the game area.

The 2021 edition will be bigger and better, with more than 200 accessible Beat Boxes which will be placed approximately half a mile apart on lampposts across the city. Players hover their game cards over a Beat Box to start their journey, and can score points for their team for each Beat Box they swipe in the next 60 minutes. This time around, the game is taking place during the summer holidays and every primary-aged child will receive a game pack, through school, so they can join in the fun.

The packs include a game card, wall chart and stickers and a set of fun challenges to try each week. Parents will receive game cards so they can play along, too. Everyone else can take part by collecting a free game card from one of the 20 distribution points listed at www.beatthestreet.me/wolverhampton.

More than 150,000 people have played the Beat the Street game safely in various UK towns since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many reporting that it had a positive impact on both their physical and mental health.

The game is contactless and can be played in household groups or bubbles, while the Beat Boxes have been adapted to be more sensitive and do not need to be touched. Signage will also be put in place at Beat Box locations to help with social distancing.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said:

It’s a real pleasure to announce that we are bringing Beat the Street back to Wolverhampton again this year. Anyone can take part, regardless of age and ability – and best of all it’s free. We know that one of the best things we can do right now for our physical and mental health is to move more and to get out into green space where possible, and Beat the Street helps us do that safely.

Many players in Wolverhampton said that the previous Beat the Street games helped them to walk or ride more often, to visit new places and to spend more time with their friends and family. As well as encouraging people to get active, Beat the Street has been shown to get communities more engaged, less car-dependent and fitter, all of which are vital in the fight against Covid-19.”

This year’s game will be split into themed weeks, Go Play, Go Active, Go Wild and Go Explore, to help players make the most of their game experience, and once again schools, communities and workplaces will be able to win prizes for the further they travel.

Alternatively, players will be able to give their points to a local charity to help them get a cash donation.

Beat the Street Wolverhampton forms part of the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Yo! Summer Festival and is delivered by Intelligent Health with funding from the National Lottery via Sport England.

For more information about where to collect your free Beat the Street card and how to play, visit www.beatthestreet.me/wolverhampton or follow @BTSWolves on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ENDS