BARRHEAD and Newton Mearns are set to be transformed into a giant game as residents compete to see if their team can walk, run or cycle the furthest.

Running from February 15 until March 29, Beat the Street is a free challenge where people are rewarded with points and prizes for exploring their town on foot or bicycle.

More than 40 special sensors called ‘Beat Boxes’ will appear across both Barrhead and Newton Mearns.

Players tap the Beat Boxes with cards and fobs to track their journey and earn points for themselves and their team. The more Beat Boxes people swipe during a journey, the more points they earn.

Schools and community groups across the area will be competing against each other to win hundreds of pounds worth of sport and fitness equipment. Families are encouraged to play for their local school, while the wider community can create their own teams by emailing team.barrheadnewtonmearns@beatthestreet.me.

In addition to the leaderboard prizes, registered players can also win weekly ‘Lucky Tap’ prizes, including sports and fitness vouchers and experience days.

More than 900,000 people have played Beat the Street in other UK towns.

Beat the Street Barrhead and Newton Mearns is being delivered by Intelligent Health, on behalf of East Renfrewshire Council, with support from Paths for All’s Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme.

East Renfrewshire Council leader Tony Buchanan said: “We are incredibly excited to be bringing Beat the Street to Barrhead and Newton Mearns and can’t wait to see how far everyone is able to walk, run, cycle and scoot during the challenge.

“Anyone is able to get involved in Beat the Street – it’s completely free to play and is a great opportunity to go outdoors, spend time with your friends and family and get moving.

“Watch out for Beat Boxes appearing on a street near you."

Visit beatthestreet.me/barrheadnewtonmearns for more information.