Right: Simon Dolby with the luggage trolley
available to Walking Bus schemes in the Kent and Medway area:

The group is a committee made up of volunteers from schools, the media, local councillors and highway staff with the aim of supporting the work of travel planners and road safety officers to expand the network of Walking Buses in Kent and Medway. The charity also supports Walk on Wednesday (WOW) and Walking Bug walk to school initiatives.

Representatives and Road Safety:

Representatives of the group join council travel planners in giving presentations - both informal and more structured using a PowerPoint presentation - to schools and PTA groups to promote the concept of the Walking Bus, WOW and Walking Bug.

Generally travel planners deal with practical details involved in setting up a 'bus' while the Walking Bus Group explains its support role.

For Walking Buses the support of the Kent Walking Bus Group is as follows: 

• Providing reflective tabards to schools and PTA groups on a free loan. Kit is only returned if bus stops operating.

• Free Walking Bus baseball caps to all children and adults using 'bus'.

• Organising regular committee meetings which act as a forum for Walking Bus co-ordinators to discuss issues with council staff to help improve the operation of 'buses'.

• Organising social events for volunteers from different schemes to meet up.

• Providing media support through the Kent Messenger media group.

• Providing free incentive package to children who use their Walking Bus regularly.

• For example in Canterbury, this includes free child swim vouchers to the three swimming pools operated by Active Life in the Canterbury district and free child meal vouchers for Canterbury's Pizza Hut restaurant - both sets of vouchers are provided by the sponsoring companies. In Thanet Pizza Hut provides child meal vouchers, Thanet Leisure Force donates swim vouchers and AMF bowling donates free games. Both areas receive child entry vouchers from Wildwood at Herne.

• Organising free prize draws each academic term which all Walking Bus volunteers in the area have automatic entry to. Prizes include family theatre tickets to Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, and family trips to Disneyland Paris, supplied by the Kent Messenger Group. These act as a 'thank you' to the volunteers who help to keep the Walking Bus operating.

• Attracting sponsorship from companies and organisations to fund and supply tabards, baseball caps, incentives and events.

See guidelines...