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Delivered by Bollo Ltd, the “Jack and the Beanwalk” Theatre in Education production visited thirteen local primary schools last month, encouraging pupils to explore the benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling to school, rather than travelling by car.

Through fun, laughter and audience participation, the show puts cleaner air, safer journeys and time with friends and family centre stage. It also highlights congestion and illegal parking around schools, reinforcing a simple message: ‘If it’s not far, leave the car.’

The learning continues beyond the 30-minute performance, with actors staying in character to lead classroom workshops on road safety and active travel. The sessions reinforce the show’s messages about keeping safe and active on the journey to school.

Neath Port Talbot council’s Road Safety & Transport Strategy Team coordinated the production in schools, linking the initiative with new and proposed active travel routes across the county borough. In total, over 2,200 pupils aged 5-11 watched a performance at their school, with around 1850 taking part in workshop sessions.

One recent production took place at Crynallt Primary School, which is located on the new route between Neath and Cimla.

The route, which connects three local schools, gives pupils and parents a safe new option for their everyday journeys. As well as Crynallt Primary, it links nearby communities with Ysgol Gymraeg Castell-nedd, Cefn Saeson Comprehensive and Gnoll Country Park.

Improvements to the two-mile route between YG Castell-nedd and Cefn Saeson have included widened and new sections of shared-use path; safer, more accessible crossing points; and new benches on Cimla Common.

Cllr Wyndham Fryer Griffiths, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Transport and Connectivity, said: “Building physical activity into everyday journeys is a great habit for young people to develop and we are working with partners to provide both the information and infrastructure to help achieve this. 
“These performances are a fun way to get our youngest residents thinking about how their families’ local journeys can be safe, fun and healthy, whilst often saving time and money.

“The pupils at Crynallt primary are just some of many who will benefit from the completion of new active travel routes such as the one from Neath to Cimla. Developing accessible routes like this gives more people the option to leave the car at home for shorter journeys, helping them to save money, improve their health and reduce local traffic congestion.”

This work has been funded by Welsh Government Active Travel with support from Transport for Wales.For more information on safer walking, wheeling and cycling routes in Neath Port Talbot visit: www.npt.gov.uk/ActiveTravel