Beat the Street Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary got underway today with an official launch at the Tilbury Hub attended by pupils from Lansdowne Primary Academy and local community groups.
The free competition transforms the areas of Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary into a giant interactive game from Wednesday 13 May to Wednesday 26 June and invites residents of all ages to walk, cycle, run, scoot and wheel as far as possible in six weeks across the game framework. In just one day, over 1,000 residents have signed up to take part and already clocked up an active travel mileage of 198 miles.
Beat the Street Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary is being delivered by Intelligent Health, in partnership with, and funded by, Thurrock Council.
The game was developed by GP Dr William Bird MBE, an expert in physical activity, and since it was founded, it has taken place in more than 200 locations across the UK and beyond, including locations in Essex such as Chelmsford and Braintree. A previous game took place across Belhus and Aveley from 23 April to 21 May in 2025 where 1,956 participants walked, cycled, scooted, ran and wheeled a total of 6,213 miles together.
Special sensors called Beat Boxes can be seen around the area - players can use a card or the free Beat the Street app to score points on these. Tap your nearest Beat Box, then walk, cycle, run, scoot or wheel to the next one within an hour and score 10 points. Then keep going! There are prizes for the teams and individuals that travel the furthest, plus there are leaderboards for total points and also average points, so that teams of all sizes are in with a chance of winning a prize.
Beat the Street has a significant impact on increasing levels of physical activity among adults and is a fun way for children to get their recommended 60 minutes of activity every day. It also helps reduce congestion, improving air quality, and helps families spend time together, exploring local green spaces and boosting their mood.
To find out how to get involved, visit: https://beatthestreet.me/tilburycsm/
