AN innovative walking and cycling initiative that got 10,000 people in Tendring moving last summer has been recognised for its success at encouraging people to get active.

The Beat the Street initiative has been shortlisted for Participation Event of the Year at the prestigious BT Sport Industry Awards 2017.

The awards are the most prestigious commercial sports awards in Europe with high-profile guests from the British and international sports industry including leaders, celebrities, sporting figures and media.

Beat the Street has been shortlisted alongside the London Marathon, parkrun UK, The Colour Run, Parallel London and I am Team GB.

Beat the Street is a unique walking and cycling initiative which gets entire communities moving by transforming towns and cities into giant games.

The scheme has proven to be successful in engaging the most hard-to-reach people in the community.

During the game in Tendring, 11 per cent of players had long-term conditions and the amount of people reporting as being inactive decreased from 25 per cent at the start of the game to nine per cent immediately afterwards.

Dr William Bird, founder of Intelligent Health who delivered Beat the Street in Tendring on behalf of Essex County Council and Tendring Council, said: “It is a huge honour to see Beat the Street shortlisted alongside such nationally recognisable and successful events and initiatives.

"2016 has been an incredible year for the programme which has helped encourage thousands of people across the UK to become active and signpost them into long-term sports and activities.”

Lynda McWilliams, Tendring Council’s cabinet member for leisure, welcomed the news of the shortlisting.

“Beat the Street proved hugely positive in Tendring and its legacy lives on,” she said.

“It was embraced across the district, especially by schoolchildren who really took the idea on board and got involved. They became extremely competitive."

“This initiative totally fitted in with the Council’s goal to promote healthier lifestyles and wellbeing and was an unqualified success as far as we are concerned.”