Health and wellbeing
Beat the Street game launches in Walsall
Published on
Beat the Street is a free, interactive game that encourages people of all ages to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.
Residents of all ages and abilities are invited to get active as a new game gets underway in parts of Walsall.
Beat the Street is a free, interactive game that encourages people of all ages to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives by rewarding teams with points and prizes the further they walk, cycle and roll.
The game launched on Wednesday 15 March at Bloxwich Active Living Centre, where attendees from supporting organisations heard from Dr William Bird MBE (CEO and founder of Beat the Street), followed by a demonstration of the game.
Residents in Bentley, Birchills, Darlaston, Leamore and Willenhall are invited to take part. Schools based in these areas are also involved. People from wider afield are also welcome to join by registering themselves and coming across.
Beeping and flashing sensors called Beat Boxes are on lampposts around the area, in parks and on the canal for the duration of the six-week game, which runs until Wednesday 26 April. Primary school pupils will be provided with a player pack containing a map and a card for the child and an accompanying adult. The wider community can pick up a contactless card from a distribution point listed on the Beat the Street website.
Alternatively, players over the age of 13 can download the free Beat the Street app to play the game with their phone.
Players then travel between the contactless Beat Boxes scoring points with their cards as they go. The further players travel, the more points they score for their community or school team. Each week is themed with different activities to help participants get the most out of their Beat the Street experience.
Beat the Street Walsall has been commissioned by Walsall Council and the Canal & River Trust, with support from the National Lottery via Sport England. It is being delivered by Intelligent Health.
“ We are delighted to bring this innovative and compelling game to Walsall. It is a great opportunity to promote physical activity and see how far everyone can walk, run, cycle and scoot during the game.
Everyone is welcome to get involved and you can join the movement by picking up a card from your nearest distribution point or by downloading the Beat the Street app. “
For more information or to sign up visit the Beat the Street website. Beat the Street Walsall can also be found on social media at @BTSWalsall.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
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Beat the Street Walsall has been commissioned by Walsall Council and the Canal & River Trust with support from the National Lottery via Sport England. It is being delivered by Intelligent Health.
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How to play
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To play, you can use a card or the Beat the Street App (Age 13+).
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Create your Beat the Street account on our website at beatthestreet.me/Walsall or by downloading our Beat the Street App via Google Play or the App Store.
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Add family members and register a card to player profiles. Set up a team or join an existing one.
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Start your journey. Find your nearest Beat Box using a paper or digital map and hover your card at the contactless Beat Box until it beeps and flashes. If playing with the app, tap the Beat Box icon on your phone and swipe to collect points.
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Visit two Beat Boxes within an hour and collect 10 points for each Beat Box – this is 20 points for the journey.
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Carry on your journey. Score 10 points for each extra Beat Box you visit.
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By playing with the Beat the Street App, you get access to exclusive features. Collect gems, choose an avatar to represent you in-game and raise the competition in your team leader boards.