Birmingham walkers can help beat Liverpool

Birmingham residents can turn an everyday walk or wheel into points for their city — and help it win blossom trees in a friendly contest against Liverpool.

The This City Moves challenge begins on 7 September and runs for six weeks. Participants choose an achievable daily target, record their activity through Go Jauntly and contribute to Birmingham’s position on the shared leaderboard each time they reach their goal.

Pick a daily target that works for you

There are three daily goals: 1,000, 3,000 or 5,000 steps. The challenge is based on completing the selected target consistently rather than covering the greatest distance, so every qualifying day carries weight in the city competition.

That structure gives residents a practical choice: select the goal they believe they can repeat, rather than feeling pushed towards the highest option. A completed 1,000-step target counts towards Birmingham’s total just as a completed 5,000-step target does.

People can participate individually or alongside family, friends and community groups. The invitation also extends to those who wheel, making participation broader than a conventional step-counting contest.

How to join through Go Jauntly

Participants need to use the Go Jauntly app, find the official This City Moves challenge and select one of the three daily targets. When the challenge opens on 7 September, they can begin recording the days on which they reach their chosen goal.

Birmingham City Council says new local walks have been added to the app’s collection, allowing residents to explore routes and practise before the official start. Following a featured walk is not required for activity to count: the essential step is to reach the selected daily target through walking or wheeling.

Make each day count across the six weeks

The six-week format rewards repeat participation. Each successful day adds to the city total, so the most useful target is one a participant can realistically complete again and again.

The activity can also be fitted around different ways of exploring Birmingham. The council highlights parks, green spaces and neighbourhoods, as well as routes connected with the city’s heritage, culture and geography. Residents can use the challenge to visit unfamiliar areas or notice places closer to home.

Councillor Rob Grant, Birmingham’s cabinet member for transport, said walking and wheeling provide opportunities to visit new neighbourhoods, become more active and discover nearby places. He described the challenge as something residents can take on alone or with family, friends and community groups.

Birmingham takes on Liverpool for blossom trees

Every completed day helps Birmingham climb the leaderboard in its head-to-head contest with Liverpool. The friendly inter-city rivalry carries bragging rights, while blossom trees from the National Trust are the prize.

However far each resident chooses to go, their contribution is measured by whether they meet the goal they selected. To make activity count from 7 September, participants should join the official challenge through Go Jauntly, choose 1,000, 3,000 or 5,000 steps and record each completed day.

Source: Birmingham City Council