Interactive game to hit the streets of Edmonton

Beat the Street encourages people to move more and make small lifestyle changes

A popular interactive game that turns entire communities into a giant activity competition is set to launch in Edmonton.

Beat the Street encourages people to move more and make small lifestyle changes, such as walking or cycling to school or work. The competitive element of the game helps people get involved to work together to learn about the local area and collect points for prizes.

As well as having a significant impact on increasing low levels of physical activity among adults and children, the game also helps families spend time together in green spaces and can improve key skills such as map reading and team building.

The game is open to anyone of any age who would like to participate in Edmonton from June 12 to July 24.

Alev Cazimoglu, cabinet member for health and social care, said: “It’s free to take part in Beat the Street and it’s open to everyone, regardless of age, ability or background. It’s a comprehensive and compelling game that encourages you to exercise in a fun way with friends and family, plus it’s a great way to get to know your local area.

“We want to support our local communities to access fun, free and high quality services to improve their health ambitions and enable more active lifestyles. This is also an opportunity for people to learn more about Edmonton, which is being transformed by public artwork, more green open spaces and, of course, Meridian Water’s massive regeneration project.”

Children use a card and map that will be provided by participating elementary schools to locate “Beat Boxes” around Edmonton. Adults and youth can also register online or download the app to their phones.

This story is published by the Enfield Dispatch, Enfield’s free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a non-profit publication published by a small social enterprise. We have no wealthy backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.

Once the game is underway, players find the nearest Beat Boxes and accumulate points as they discover them. There will be more than 40 sensors that record each player’s points simply by passing the player cards over the boxes.

Players can join a school, community or workplace team and there are many prizes on offer. Points can be checked on a leaderboard, online.

Beat the Street Edmonton was commissioned by Enfield Council and is funded by London Marathon Active Spaces, the Canal and River Trust and the National Lottery through Sport England. It is provided by Intelligent Health.

The game was created by Dr William Bird MBE, a GP and physical activity specialist, to encourage people to explore their local areas and make exercise fun. It has been played by over 1.8 million people in 168 locations across the UK.

For more information on how to get involved:
Visit beatsstreet.me/edmonton

We know times are tough

If you’re struggling to cope, we’ve got Enfield Dispatch for free. We know many people cannot afford to pay for local news, so this website and our print paper will always be free. If you can afford it and value what we do, a small monthly, annual or one-off contribution can help us continue to provide quality Enfield journalism to our community for free.

Direct monthly debit

Annual direct debit

£5 a month backers get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 a month backers get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted each month. Annual £50 backers get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else.

More information about supporting us monthly or annually

More information about donations