Panto legend Ben Roddy took time out from preparing for the Marlowe Theatre’s Christmas production of Mother Goose to read to the winners of a green-travel challenge.

Ben read Mordicai Gerstein’s The Man Who Walked Between the Towers to the children of Whitstable Junior School after its 3H class won a county-wide challenge with the KM Charity Team’s Active Wow initiative.

Each pupil in 3H class was also presented with free-entry vouchers to Wildwood animal park in Herne Bay.

Active Wow coordinator Kathy Beel said: “Like the true star he is, Ben was absolutely brilliant, and the children of Whitstable Juniors had a great time.

“They fully deserved the story-time session and vouchers after literally going the extra mile to embrace green-travel alternatives to the school run.

“I would urge other schools to sign up for Active Wow now, and they too could soon be enjoying story-time sessions with celebrities such as Ben, as well as benefitting from more active pupils arriving for lessons fresh and alert, and a safer, less polluted local environment with fewer cars crowding outside the school gates.”

Active Wow encourages families to walk to school, with individual schools’ classes competing each week to be awarded a Green Class of the Week Trophy.

Monthly inter-school green-travel challenges award winning classes tickets to leisure attractions including Diggerland and Wildwood and visits by storytellers.

The scheme is supported by Ashford International Hotel, Orbit, Volker Highways, Countrystyle Recycling, Golding Vision, Specsavers, Eurostar, Kent, Maidstone, Bexley, Medway and Ashford councils, the Morrisons Foundation, Buckland Media Group and the Education People.

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