BMBC - BEAT THE STREET

Barnsley Council is happy to announce that Beat the Street is set to return this summer.

The popular physical activity game, commissioned by Barnsley Council, took the town by storm in the summer of 2019. More than 25,000 local residents of all ages walked, ran, cycled, scooted and wheeled 144,810 miles during the six-week game to win points and prizes.  

This year Beat the Street will take place from Thursday 10 June to Thursday 22 July and organisers hope the game will be even bigger and better.

To get started, adult players just need a free card which can be collected from one of the distribution points listed on www.beatthestreet.me/barnsley closer to the start date of the game. Primary school pupils will receive a fob and player pack from their school. 

Special sensors called Beat Boxes will be placed approximately half a mile apart on lampposts before the game. Players hover their cards over a Beat Box to start their journey, and for each Beat Box swiped within an hour, players score 10 points for their team. The sensors have been adapted to be COVID-19 safe, so no touching of the boxes is required, and further measures such as temporary pavement markings to help with social distancing have also been put in place. The game remains contactless and can be played in household groups or bubbles.

Many players in Barnsley said that the previous Beat the Street game had helped encourage them to walk or scoot more often, visit new places and spend more time with their friends and family.

It’s free to take part in Beat the Street and it’s open to everyone regardless of age, ability or background. It’s so important to encourage people to get active, but we really want to highlight our focus on safety which is our top priority.

More information will be available closer to the launch date; please keep an eye out for updates on www.beatthestreet.me/barnsley or on social media @BTSBarnsley and @BarnsleyMoving.