Twenty-five schools will receive fully funded places on a scheme to improve pupil health and wellbeing thanks to a windfall from the Aviva Community Fund Poll 2017.

The Green Champions project, run by the KM Charity Team, has been chosen as a winner after the poll was put to the public vote from October 24 to November 21 last year.

Having secured sufficient votes to become a finalist, the project went through a judging process – where, according to Aviva, it “scored very highly against some very strong competition.”

Green Champions was among the winners named by Aviva today (Tuesday, January 16) in an official announcement. The scheme will receive a grant of £5,000 enabling 25 schools to join the hundreds across Kent and Medway who are already helping pupils to embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Rebecca Smith, deputy CEO of the KM Charity Team, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to vote for us – as well as Claire Sweet from Blueprint Insurance South West, who helped with our nomination. We are absolutely delighted to win the grant and can’t wait to get the new schools on board.

“We are so proud of the work we do, which currently involves 200 primary schools and removes more than 300,000 car journeys from Kent roads each year. This means fewer traffic jams, plummeting carbon emissions, and a big jump in the number of pupils getting regular exercise.

“It is so important to help children establish healthy habits from an early age – leading more active lives and considering their impact on the environment.”

Schools can sign up to schemes including Walking Bus, Green Footsteps, and Active Wow (Walk on Wednesday) that persuade families to swap the car for walking or cycling to school. Classes compete for the Green Class of the Week trophy and monthly competitions offer prizes including tickets to leisure attractions, books, and visits from celebrity storytellers.

Pupils on school councils or eco committees are encouraged to become Green Champions by promoting the green travel schemes taking place at their school. They are rewarded for creating a buzz around sustainable travel to their peers and families.

The Green Champions project continues to evolve and is being extended to include other school-led eco initiatives involving pupil activity – in areas such as nature or energy conservation, recycling, or garden projects.

The Aviva Community Fund is an annual poll enabling members of the public to support the community project of their choice. Anyone can register for free at www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk

Schools wanting to register their interest to be one of the 25 funded schools should contact Debbie Possee at dpossee@thekmgroup.co.uk

Find out more about the KM Charity Team at www.kmcharityteam.co.uk