March 4, 2009
MEDIA RELEASE

Walk2Work - an event promoting the positive benefits of gentle physical exercise on the body, environment and the pocket!

On the 18th of March 2009, thousands of people across New Zealand will leave their cars at home and Walk2Work with friends, family and colleagues. Workers are invited to call in to their local Walk2Work event between 7-9am, to register, collect their complimentary breakfast snack, be inspired by speakers, win spot prizes and potentially change their habits!

After a successful pilot event in 2008, Living Streets Aotearoa is coordinating twelve events around the country. Walk2Work is a great excuse for people to get outside and enjoy their walk, realising the benefits of fresh air and gentle exercise.

Walk2Work events are being held in Auckland City, North Shore, Bay of Plenty and Lakes district, Taupo, Levin, Wellington City, Lower Hutt, Nelson, Tasman district, West Coast, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

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IN WELLINGTON

Walk2Work Wellington 2009 invites all Wellingtonians to be healthier, save money on petrol and parking fees and be friendly to the environment by joining Walk2Work on March 18, 2009 from 7am to 9am. Meet up will be at FRANK KITTS PARK, Jervois Quay where FREE breakfast will be served with spot prizes to be won.

Guest speakers:
Emma Daken (who has walked the length of the country)
Hon. Steven Joyce
Mayor Kerry Prendergast
Councillor Celia Wade-Brown
Luke Guyton (local person who lost weight through walking)
Guest speakers from Toastmaster to share their Walk2Work stories
In addition, the opera singer Mere Boynton will be doing a live performance.

Activities:
FREE Breakfast
Walk2Work Story contest
Two X half hour Nordic Walking trial sessions
Prizes
Music and more music
Talk about Road Safety
Walk2Work Day is a free event held before work in a location close to the main walking routes, targeting people who have walked all or part of the way to work. If you live too far away to walk or take public transport, try walking to a further stop before boarding, or getting off a stop early and walking the rest of the distance to work.

Event aims:

- To encourage active healthy lifestyles for all New Zealanders consequently reducing levels of disease, stress and illness through simple, free exercise e.g. healthy people don’t clog up our health system

- To reduce fuel emissions and promote alternative transport, in turn care for our environment

- To support New Zealand’s economy by way of retail purchases from walkers on their journey to work. Money saved by walking to work can be spent elsewhere

- To promote national business efficiency by reducing the numbers of private vehicles on our roads therefore decreasing congestion and increasing speed of essential business traffic

Websites:
www.walk2work.org.nz
walk2workwellington.wordpress.com

Living Streets Aotearoa
More people choosing to walk more often.

Background
Living Streets Aotearoa is New Zealand’s national walking organisation, established in 1998, and incorporated in 2002. Living Streets works to develop walking-friendly communities throughout New Zealand and to promote the social, environmental, health and economic benefits of walking as a means of transport and recreation.

Living Streets exists because the diverse needs and aspirations of people on foot are often overlooked. Walking is not consistently or fully integrated into decision-making in transport, urban design, public health and community development planning.

Living Streets has taken up the challenge to address these issues, by working with communities, and public and private sector agencies at all levels to provide education, practical advice and expertise. Through these activities Living Streets aims to help shape policy and infrastructure to support pedestrians and walkers, and to encourage more people to get out and about on foot more often. We emphasise the relationship between walking and access to public transport.

Activities

• Promoting walkable, healthy, safe communities

• developing a nation-wide network of community-based Walking User

• Groups and regional Walking Stakeholder Forums

• influencing the development and shape of key policy documents by

• making submissions to central and local government, which identify

• the needs of pedestrians, and explain how meeting their needs

• increases the liveability of our towns and cities.

• networking with similar Walking and Pedestrian Advocacy Groups

• internationally.

• collaborating and networking with strategic partners in central and

• local government, business, and the public and private sectors

• providing information and advice for the general public and for key

• stakeholder groups on a range of walking issues

• maintaining our website www.livingstreets.org.nz and its associated

• email discussion group, and producing a quarterly newsletter

• “Footprints”

• organising the biennial New Zealand Walking conference

• initiating research into walking related topics

• contributing to the “Getting There – on foot, by cycle” strategy and

• its implementation

• maintaining the walking resources database, WalkIT

• fundraising for core and project work

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