The BetterPoints Southwark app rewards people who live in the borough for making choices to support their health and the local environment. The programme is a collaboration between us and BetterPoints. We’ve launched a new range of health rewards for local people.
These include rewards for:
- stopping smoking
- attending weight management and exercise support classes
- participating in family healthy food and activity courses
- joining guided walks
These add to existing rewards for walking, wheeling, running, cycling and taking public transport (available since July 2023 through the Streets for People programme). Since the challenge launched, members have recorded over 9,500 hours of activity, burning 61 million calories – and saving 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
To celebrate the launch of the new rewards, all BetterPoints Southwark members have a chance of sharing £600 worth of prizes during September 2024 by hitting the NHS-recommended physical activity target. By doing 150 minutes of walking, wheeling, cycling or running each week, each member will be entered into the prize draw for a share of £150 each week until 28 September 2024.
Members can spend the BetterPoints they earn at local Southwark businesses, donate them to charity, or redeem them for many household-name brands.
Vikas, a BetterPoints Southwark member since 2023, said, “BetterPoints has been a great motivator for me, personally. Since joining, I have seen my health increase, weight decrease by 5kgs and I have become less dependent on my diabetic medication regime. I feel that within another year, I'll be medication free and sustain my health independently by walking and cycling a lot more.”
Councillor Evelyn Akoto, Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “It has been great to see thousands of people in Southwark sign up to the BetterPoints app to be rewarded for making healthier journeys by walking, cycling, running, or using public transport. Now, we are opening up even more ways to earn rewards for healthy activities that can be spent or donated to charity, including losing weight, stopping smoking or joining a walking group. I’m excited to see even more people take full advantage of the rewards app as they take up new habits to stay healthy and happy.”
The Southwark BetterPoints app is available to download via Google Play and the Apple Store.