Working with schools and businesses in East Herts
MP Smarter Travel has been working with East Herts District Council to help improve air quality in beautiful Hertfordshire. The work is part of the district’s Breathe Clean campaign.
East Herts Council asked us to work with businesses and schools in three Air Quality Management Areas which were identified by DEFRA as having high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide: Bishop’s Stortford, Hertford and Sawbridgeworth.
Over three years we delivered workshops in schools, businesses and community groups to increase people’s awareness about the importance of good air quality and the impact of air pollution on our health. We also worked with them to identify simple, small actions we can all take to reduce air pollution and be healthier and more active every day.
Why air quality is vital for health
Poor air quality can exacerbate various health conditions and contribute to premature deaths.
It’s often the more vulnerable people in our communities who are adversely affected by air pollution – the young, elderly, and those with existing chronic health conditions.
For children, exposure to air pollutants can affect lung development, leading to long-term health issues. (Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2022: air pollution)
What we did
We delivered a series of workshops about active travel and air quality to more than 2,700 school children across East Herts. Our workshops for teachers and students covered air quality, the dangers of car engine idling, healthy walking routes and the health benefits of traveling actively.
Air quality workshops
Our air quality workshops focused on what air pollution is, its causes and the impacts of air pollution on health and the environment. We also talked to the students about how we can reduce air pollution and what steps we can all take to protect ourselves against it.
Through our anti-idling workshops, we taught the students what idling is, how it contributes to air pollution and how they can encourage adults to turn their engines off when their car is stationary.
The students created eye-catching anti-idling posters and banners for the school gates.
Groups of four to eight pupils formed idling patrols and encouraged drivers near their school to turn off their engines.
Results from quizzes given to the children before and after our workshops showed a significant increase in knowledge and understanding about idling, air pollution and how NO2 is the most dangerous polluting gas.
We helped the children create their own air pollution news videos.
Toolkit for schools
We developed a Breathe Clean toolkit for schools in East Herts so they can continue their work with the students on air pollution and healthy, active travel options. The toolkit includes:
- Air quality workshop presentation
- Air quality activity pack
- Environmental and active travel calendar
- In-class Travel surveys
- Modeshift STARS information and how to be a part of the national schools award scheme for promoting sustainable travel
Hands up surveys
Our hands up surveys at four schools showed that walking is the most common way of getting to and from school. Car was the second most common form of transport for the school run.
However, for the young people themselves, cycling, walking and scooting were by far the most preferred ways to travel to and from school.
“Public awareness and understanding of air pollution sources are important for gaining support for action to improve air quality. A lack of awareness of the health impacts of air pollution can create opposition to policies and measures to improve air quality.”
Teacher in East Herts
Our work with East Herts businesses
We also met with employees at six major businesses in East Herts to talk to them about how they travelled to and from work. We provided them with sustainable transport plans to help them identify commuter routes suitable for cycling and walking and also public transport options instead of driving to reduce emissions from cars. Car sharing was another commuting idea we explored with them.
Toolkits for businesses
We created a toolkit for businesses to support continued efforts to improve employees’ knowledge about air pollution and make sustainable travel choices. Other businesses in East Herts are able to use these toolkits too.
“With all the traffic, it would take the same about of time to walk as it would be to drive.”
Employee at Tees Law
Social media campaign
We created three social media campaigns for East Herts Council to post on their social media channels.
- Anti-idling directed at people living in locations with level-crossings, drive-thru restaurants and train stations
- Anti-idling focused on people living near schools who were parents of children aged three to 17 years old
- Car sharing promotion aimed at parents living near selected schools and at employees working at: Gu, Waitrose, Grange Paddocks, Leventhorpe and Choice Physio.
They were eye-catching and informative with data to support the council’s focus on reducing air pollution. They reinforced the importance of clean air and the actions people can take to improve their local air quality.
Contact
Get in touch with us if you’d like support with helping your school, community or business become more sustainable
info@mpsmartertravel.co.uk