Walk leaders step into the spotlight at cross-county celebration

Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council came together to host the Walk Leader Celebration Event on Friday 30th May, which saw over 80 walk leaders in attendance.

The event, held at the Worcestershire County Cricket Club's Graeme Hick Pavilion, brought walk leaders together from across the counties to learn from each other and share experiences about why they took on their crucial roles.

Guest speakers from all three organisations, including Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire CEO, Stephen Brewster, and Director of Public Health for Worcestershire County Council, Lisa McNally, praised the efforts of the walk leaders and provided engaging facts and statistics about walking across our counties.

Speaking about the event, Stephen Brewster said: "The walk leaders are doing some truly amazing things for the benefit of communities across our counties.

"The physical health benefits of walking are so impactful, but also the social and wellbeing benefits of these walks are also so important. "Being able to attend with our team, and our collaborative partners from the public health teams to celebrate this day was truly very special."

A presentation on the success of the #WalkThisMay Challenge as part of National Walking Month, which saw walk leaders and attendees of walks across the counties travel 4723.18 miles in just two weeks, was also heard by attendees on the day.

Lisa McNally, Director of Public Health for Worcestershire County Council, said: "I’m so thankful to every one of our walk leaders for the time and energy they give so generously. These walks may seem simple, but they can be life-changing, they help people to stay active, feel connected, and improve their mental wellbeing. Our walk leaders are the heart of this programme, and we simply couldn’t do it without them.”

The event also included a Health Walk along the River Severn, looping back to the Graeme Hick Pavilion.

Philippa Ellis, Talk Community Health and Wellbeing Manager, said: “We were delighted to welcome our walk leaders to this celebratory event, and to be able to thank them for all the support and connections they bring to their communities through their wellbeing walks”.

Walk leaders are volunteers, offering their time as part of Herefordshire Council's Rambler's Wellbeing Walks scheme and Worcestershire County Council's Health Walks scheme.

The event was part of the larger National Walking Month Campaign, which you can learn more about by visiting the National Walking Month pages of the Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire website.

From Monday 2nd June to Sunday 8th June, it is Volunteers Week, and if you want to learn more about Health Walks or Wellbeing Walks, and opportunities to become a walk leader, visit the Walks and Trails pages on the Herefordshire Council website or Health Walks pages on our website.