The Teesside evening Gazette has picked up our launch piece of Stockton's Big Challenge active travel Parmo Counter and is running the article on page 13 of todays Gazette, and online under the title of 'Parmo to be part of Stockton's Big Challenge'

'DESPITE being deep-fried, smothered in cheese and loaded with calories, Teesside takeaway delicacy the parmo is to be used as part of a major healthy living campaign in Stockton.

Cleveland-based digital firm dotUK has developed a website on behalf of Stockton Active Travel and leading UK charity, Sustrans.

The Stockton’s Big Challenge initiative will encourage residents to log their daily cycling or walking routes on the website, which will automatically enter them into regular prize draws.

And visitors to the site will be able to measure the healthiness of their journey against an unusual yardstick – the parmo.

dotUK, which employs 16 people at its Yarm headquarters, has created a parmo counter, which tells users how many of Teesside’s signature dish, if any, they have effectively burned off on their journey.

A five-mile walk is worth around a sixth of a parmo, while a 135-mile cycle – the length of the Coast to Coast route from Whitehaven to Tynemouth – earns you just over one-and-a-half of the cheesy favourites.

Andy Flisher, founder of dotUK, said: “The parmo counter is an excellent way to promote healthy living on Teesside and it was great to be part of the initiative.”

Stockton Big Challenge is backed by the Big Lottery Fund, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and the NHS.

Prizes on offer to Stockton residents include weekend breaks, meals out for two, spa treatments and shopping vouchers.

The website also contains information and tips to help people start travelling actively.

To measure your activity in parmos or for tips, visitwww.stocktonsbigchallenge.org.uk'

Related Links

• Stocktons Big Challenge
• Parmo Counter
• Stocktons Big Challenge Facebook Fan Page