The game will run from Wednesday 20 September to Wednesday 1 November 2023.  

The popular walking, wheeling and cycling initiative will once again transform towns into a giant game encouraging residents to consider leaving the car at home, embrace active travel and explore local greenspaces. The game also gives friends and families the opportunity to get active together while connecting with their community.

This time, the game will be taking place in Chapelton, Larkhall, Strathaven, Stonehouse, Carluke, Law, Braidwood, Netherburn, Kirkmuirhill, Crossford, Lesmahagow, Lanark and Coalburn. Residents who took part in Beat the Street when it was last held in South Lanarkshire in 2022 will be familiar with the unique game, which invites teams to score points by travelling as far as possible within the game area.

David Booth, Executive Director of Community and Enterprise Resources said: “Beat the Street is an opportunity for the entire community to explore their neighbourhoods by walking, cycling, or wheeling, and having fun as they go.

“As a council, we are keen to be involved as we look at it as a rewarding and engaging way to encourage travel behaviour change, with the potential to build a longer-term legacy where active and sustainable travel patterns become part of everyday life.

“The health and environmental benefits of active travel are well-documented, and we know that our air quality will thank us too.

“During the lockdown periods of the pandemic, it was clear that getting out and about and meeting others safely was significant to so many; it helped to strengthen and create bonds, reduce isolation, and boosted health and wellbeing at a time when it was so needed.

“Beat the Street has continued to build on that feelgood factor, sustain those new habits and to protect our environment for us and for the generations to come. We hope as many people of all ages and abilities as possible come out to join the project this time around.”

Beat Boxes will be placed approximately half a mile apart on lampposts across the towns. All players have to do is hover their game cards over a Beat Box which will flash and beep to start their journey, if they travel to the next Beat Box within 60 minutes, they score 10 points for their team for each Beat Box they swipe within an hour.

Participating primary school children will receive a game pack from their school containing a game card and a map so they can join in the fun. Parents will also receive game cards so they can play along too. Everyone else in the wider community can take part by collecting a free card from one of the distribution points shown on the Beat the Street Clydesdale website.

Players over the age of 13 can also play via the Beat the Street App which can be downloaded via Google Play or the App Store. By playing with the Beat the Street App you can get access to exclusive features, collect Gems, choose an avatar to represent you and raise the competition with the team leaderboards. There will be an average leaderboard and a total points leaderboard to give teams of all sizes an opportunity to win prizes. There will also be a leaderboard for individuals to find the top Beat the Street player in the area.

This game will be split into themed weeks, Go Play, Go Travel, Go Wild, Go Active, and Go Celebrate, to help players make the most of their game experience, and once again schools, communities and workplaces will be able to win prizes for the further they travel as they work their way up the leaderboards.

Beat the Street Clydesdale is being delivered by Intelligent Health on behalf of South Lanarkshire Council with support from South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, Smarter Choices, Smarter Places and the Scottish Government.

More information is available on the Beat the Street website, and you can connect with the game on Facebook and Twitter.