KM Group has joined forces with a children’s charity in taking steps to help families improve their health and wellbeing.

The media group has announced 2018 will be its Year of Walking to support the KM Charity Team over the coming 12 months. This will give green travel a higher profile via print, KentOnline and kmfm radio, by showcasing the charity’s work with schools and communities.

Geraldine Allinson, chairman of KM Group, said: “KM is delighted to announce that 2018 will be our Year of Walking giving focus to the benefits that walking can bring to health and wellbeing as well as fitness and happiness.

“Special attention will be given to the walk to school campaign, the annual KM Charity Walk, and the Green School Awards, all supported by the KM Charity Team.”

She added: “We have such a beautiful county with thousands of miles of footpaths. It would be great to increase the green journeys people make and remove even more school-run car journeys and trips people make in the car.”

Currently 40,000 children and families are involved with the walk to school campaign generating 600,000 green journeys a year and removing 250,000 school-run car journeys from local roads each year.

The KM Charity Walk has raised more than £800,000 over the 20 years the event has run and can be used by any good cause to raise funds. The Green School Awards showcases a range of environmental work undertaken by schools and young people in the community, with an emphasis on walk to school.

Simon Dolby, chief executive of the KM Charity Team, said: “Swapping driving for walking offers pleasant low impact exercise, gets children into healthy habits, and has the knock on benefit of fewer air polluting cars choking up Kent’s roads.”

He added: “We’re thrilled KM Group are running the Year of Walking campaign and hope more people are inspired to put their best foot forward throughout 2018 and beyond.”

The KM Year of Walking logo will appear on walk to school materials in schools this term when head teachers are encouraged to sign up for green travel in advance of the new academic year. Schools will receive a 20% discount if they join before the deadline of July 1.

The walk to school campaign is supported by Kent County Council, Medway Council, London Borough of Bexley, Orbit, Golding Homes, Bel, Specsavers, Eurostar, Whitefriars, 3Rs, Jelf, Countrystyle Recycling, Gallaghers Aggregates and Volker Highways.

To find out about green travel schemes including Active Wow and Active Bug, visit www.kmwalktoschool.co.uk

KM Charity Team also runs literacy scheme Buster’s Book Club. Find out more at www.bustersbookclub.co.uk.