Walking and wellbeing
A lockdown community initiative in BS4, run by volunteers encouraging connection with others and the outdoors.
Rachel Nightingale, is a Bristol woman with extensive experience in health, fitness and community development. With an impressive reputation for connecting and engaging local people in physical activity and wellbeing, the team at Open Minds Active were thrilled to collaborate with Rachel to provide a walking programme via a community grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, for local people in and around Brislington and Knowle in Bristol. After recruiting 6 local women to lead local walks for 2 months coming out of the third lockdown, Rachel reflected about what the programme achieved to date and what it has meant to her, the community and the volunteers involved:
I love to walk.
A friend and I are regular walkers – it is ‘our time’ and always makes us feel good.
What is it about walking that brings so much joy and goodness to people’s lives? Maybe because its calming, fun, social and great for our physical and mental health. Moving, chatting, talking, fresh air, trees, birds, views, landscapes all these elements provide sharing and thinking time in nature. We often discussed how we could share these feelings and experiences with others. We knew we could, we just needed that little touch of magic….
When local community leader Carolyn Magson set up a meeting with Maggy Blagrove, the Founder of Open Minds Active, I knew I had met likeminded women and was keen to be involved. I was asked to put a group of volunteer walk leaders together for our community. I was so excited at the prospect of getting our community walking, talking and giggling! I was already walking with friends and some clients as a means of ‘letting go’ and ‘escaping’ the uncertainty and underlying anxiety caused by the pandemic. I was super keen to see if we could help reach people with community walking groups.
After just one request over email, 6 wonderful women replied keen to lead a walking group. Jo, Ann, Hannah, Sara, Faye and Kirsten. After several planning meetings and training we created a weekly timetable for ‘wellbeing walks’ in BS4 - Hannah, one of our leaders came up with the name for us. From the start, this initiative was co-created with our walk leaders, and they helped shape the project into something very special.
We decided to offer a morning stroll, an evening amble and a midday saunter each week for 2 months. We hoped to reach out with something that appealed to all members of our community.
Collectively we were all nervous and excited - would anyone turn up? We advertised the groups on Facebook and put out flyers to local doctors’ surgeries.
Our first week was amazing with over 40 women attending across all 3 sessions and participation grew over the subsequent 7 weeks. Walkers told others, leaders invited friends and neighbours, plus locals we met whilst walking. Each week the walks were well attended and received; it made our job as leaders an absolute pleasure.
We have walked with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. We have shown walkers wonderful hour-long walks all over our community spaces - parks, woods, farms, rivers, urban and reserves. Walks that many people have never experienced, it has been wonderful.
Our private Facebook group has grown from 40 members to 150 and still growing! We now have separate Whatsapp groups for those not on Facebook and for community members to continue with self-led walks with the friends they have made.
It has truly been one of the best things I have ever done. I know the other leaders feel the same. It has warmed my heart to see each group set off, chatting, welcoming, friendly and happy. The sense of togetherness has been so powerful as has the feeling of belonging this community has fostered.
As the 8 weeks come to an end, we asked our participants to reflect on just how much these simple, beautiful walking groups have meant to them. Here are some of the comments they shared:
‘It is so nice to be able to walk and talk with someone’
‘I have made some lovely friends and will continue to walk with them’
‘It’s my lifeline’ after losing my dog, I feel so lucky to have this group’
‘I feel better, I feel happier, I love these walks’
‘Knowing you are here, makes me get out, its great’
‘I have discovered new areas and my local knowledge has really improved’
‘I lack confidence to walk alone, I love walking, so these walks are just brilliant’
What’s next for us? The whole point of this programme was to mobilise local people to connect with each other and now we are seeing new walk leader volunteers emerge and help plan new routes on different days and times. We are planning a series of ‘off piste’ walks for August and thinking about offering different walks suitable with dogs, babies, children and men.
Walking - as simple as it is, offers tremendous social connection and health benefits. Our Wellbeing Walks have offered a little light, a lot of joy and a lifeline to some.
Long may they continue. Open Minds Active, Maggy and team you are awesome. Thank you for your unfailing support, love and guidance throughout.
Rachel and Wellbeing Walk Leaders
To join our Facebook group follow this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/wellbeingwalks
About Rachel Nightingale
Rachel has delivered exercise and fitness in the community for over 25 years. A former PE Teacher, she has played national league volleyball, basketball and korfball. She has set up numerous community programmes including cricket and is passionate about encouraging movement regardless of age and ability. She now mobilises the local community through her Pilates classes.
https://www.nightingalepilates.co.uk/