A luxury hotel in Dartford is to provide the setting for a prestigious awards event trumpeting green travel heroes in schools across Kent and Medway.

Rowhill Grange Hotel and Utopia Spa, Wilmington has agreed to host the annual KM Walk to School Awards which will be staged by the KM Charity Team in February 2016.

The awards honour school staff and volunteers who run the county’s top green travel initiatives including walking buses, Walk on Wednesday (WOW), and Active Bug, which encourage families to walk, cycle or scooter to school.

Diana Lumsdaine, group business development manager at Rowhill Grange, said: “We are delighted to be host venue for the awards and look forward to welcoming the worthy winners.”

KM Walk to School chief executive Simon Dolby said: “With the hotel’s recent green developments, including solar panels and increased energy efficiency, it’s the perfect venue for an event celebrating eco-friendly behaviour.”

He added: “We now have 40,000 children using WOW and Active Bug, tackling traffic congestion and pollution and contributing to healthier lifestyles for our next generation.”

KM Walk to School is a Kent County Council and Medway Council led initiative supported by organisations including Ashford Borough Council, Canterbury City Council, Maidstone Borough Council, Thanet District Council, Orbit South, Golding Vision (part of Golding Homes), Westwood Cross, Southern Water, Countrystyle, Eurostar, Specsavers, Whitefriars shopping area, Leeds Castle, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment and Mini Babybel.

Schools interested in taking part in award-winning green travel schemes can visit www.kmwalktoschool.co.uk or click here or call 0844 264 0291.

Fact File

• Rowhill Grange Hotel and Spa was a Winner of a Tourism South East and The Beautiful South Bronze Award in the Large Hotel of the Year category 2014-15 and earned a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014.
• Green developments include the installation of solar panels, energy efficient boiler management units, introduction of waste management and recycling, and use of energy efficient lighting.
• The venue offers 38 bedrooms and 7 meeting rooms including ‘The Pavilion’, a self-contained purpose-built conference facility accommodating up to 60 delegates.