A new initiative has been launched in Harrow to get residents fit and active while exploring the borough through a new app.
‘Street Tag’, described as a ‘family-friendly app to help residents’, converts walking, running and cycling into points where users can win prizes such as shopping vouchers.
Harrow Council says that the app will also help residents ‘get out and explore the borough’ earning points which can be found in the parks and streets as they are turned into a ‘virtual playground’.
The app will reward schools, families, individuals and communities for keeping active and earning the Street Tag points in the process. Tags can be found on school routes, in local parks and at local events, say the Council.
Residents can compete in teams or go at it alone to top the leaderboard and win prizes with a prize draw every two months where 300 virtual tags need to be collected and 40,000 steps.
Cllr Pritesh Patel, Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Public Health said: “We all know about the benefits of regular exercise, but sometimes we need a little encouragement. Street Tag is a great way to motivate families, children and young people to both explore the borough and get active together.”
To help you get involved and earn points from everyday activities you could even turn your workplace, office or school commute into a fun game, go out for walks with the family to explore the local area or even just walk the dog.
As the app runs in the background, there is no need to worry about bringing out your phone. It will automatically collect tags in a 40-metre radius allowing you to focus.
In addition to the app, there are also Harrow leagues for both schools and the general public in which the top 15 players across both leagues will be rewarded after 12 weeks.
Users can download Street Tag from Google Play or Apple Store and start collecting points wherever they come within 40 metres of the tags. For more information on how to access Street Tag including adding members to your teams go to Streettag.co.uk.
Harrow Council and Street Tag are launching the Harrow workplace leaderboard on the 18th October for businesses to get their staff more physically active whilst earning rewards. There is also a one-hour zoom drop-in session for businesses to learn more about the new initiative. Businesses can join by clicking here at 1pm on 6th October.