Tag: National Walking Month

Pupils celebrate Walk to School Week at Scottish Parliament

Pupils from Edinburgh and Scottish Borders schools joined MSPs outside Scottish Parliament to celebrate Walk to School Week yesterday (17 May 2023).

Walk to School Week is organised by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking as part of their National Walking Month campaign each May.

Families are encouraged to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ for the whole week to see the big differences that come from small steps, from healthier and happier children to fewer cars outside the school gates.

Over 250 schools in Scotland signed up to receive special Walk to School Week packs from Living Streets, joining 356,000 pupils across the UK to learn about the important reasons to walk to school and the difference it can make to individuals, communities and the planet.

The charity is working with over 170 additional Scottish schools this academic year to deliver WOW – the walk to school challenge.

WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. Pupils who travel actively at least once a week for a month are rewarded with a WOW badge.

WOW schools see on average a 5 -10% increase in pupils walking to school in Scotland with a corresponding drop in car use, helping to reduce congestion and increase safety outside the school gates.   

Stuart Hay, Director, Living Streets Scotland said: “Walk to School Week is an excellent opportunity for families to give walking to school a go. Walking our short journeys helps us stay healthy, while reducing traffic, pollution and road danger on our local streets.

“We’re delighted that so many of our schools were able to join us to celebrate the great strides Scottish pupils are making to get more active and tackle the climate emergency.”

Patrick Harvie MSP, Minister for Active Travel said: “I’m pleased to support Walk to School Week. Walking to school is a simple step that many young people and their parents and carers can make for a healthier and happier start to the day – with each step improving health and taking climate action.

“More people walking or wheeling means fewer cars, less congestion and safer environments for everyone to enjoy – both outside the school gates and beyond. I hope many people who try making the change during Walk to School Week will find that it’s a change they want to stick with, every week of the year.

“I’m grateful to the pupils from various local schools that took the time to walk to the Scottish Parliament, helping encourage even more people to choose active and sustainable travel.”

Christine Grahame MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale said: “It’s great to see Living Streets actively encouraging our primary school pupils to walk more and reduce congestion at the school gates and in built-up areas, especially during Walk to School Week!

“Walking is so important for young bodies and minds; the WOW Challenge is a great incentive to get pupils and their parents walking and actively travelling”.

Living Streets celebrated Walk to School Week with a group of Edinburgh and Borders schoolchildren taking a trip to the Scottish Parliament on the 17th of May, where MSPs were invited to join in on the festivities.

Foysol Choudhury MSP for Lothian Region said: “I am pleased to be supporting Walk to School Week once again this year. It is a great initiative that encourages families to change their school run habits and choose to walk to school instead.

“It is a healthy option that allows children and their parents or guardians to be more active, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and road safety. I hope this week will raise awareness of the importance of walking to school and various benefits to the community and environment and, will in turn motivate families to make walking to school a daily habit”.

Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire said: “It was great to join Living Streets outside the Scottish Parliament alongside pupils from Burnfoot Primary School.

“Living Streets is doing fantastic work in encouraging young people to walk to school and it is important we keep our children active and reduce congestion in built-up areas.”

Edinburgh schools attending: Abbeyhill Primary School, Broughton Primary School, Bruntsfield Primary School, Cramond Primary School, Parsons Green Primary School.

Scottish Borders schools attending: Burnfoot Primary School, Chirnside Primary School, Heriot Primary School, Langlee Primary School, Stow Primary School, Tweedbank Primary School.

Scottish charity calls for walking champions to step up

Edinburgh beauty spots celebrated during National Walking Month

Edinburgh folk are being asked to step up as part of a month-long celebration of walking.

Walking charity, Paths for All, is shining the spotlight on local champions and community locations such as paths and parks to mark the start of its National Walking Month campaign in May.

Individuals are being asked to share their walking stories and favourite local routes in a bid to encourage more people to get active, enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature.

Those eager to shine a spotlight on their walking and wheeling journey can share their story on the Paths for All website by filling out a short form.

Kevin Lafferty, Chief Executive Officer of Paths for All, said: “Walking is the easiest and most accessible way to keep active, and we’re lucky that Scotland is blessed with wonderful walking routes. Even in cities and towns, you are never far away from a green space filled with nature. 

“That’s why as part of National Walking Month, we’re sharing the stories of Scottish walkers. We would love to hear from a diverse range of people and encourage anyone with their own tale to tell to come forward.

“We hope sharing these stories will inspire like-minded individuals to walk more, helping to achieve our ambition of creating a walking society aimed at providing more opportunities and better environments for everyone in Edinburgh.

“May is the perfect month to head outdoors and enjoy the many physical, mental, social and environmental benefits that walking brings.”

This National Walking Month, the charity is encouraging Scots across the country to walk or wheel every day in May with 31 ideas to help everyone to be active this spring. 

Prizes will be up for grabs for individuals who take part in National Walking Month, with 10 Blacks vouchers worth £100 each on offer.

Paths for All has a clear and simple aim, which is to get Scotland walking: everyone, every day, everywhere. Walking outdoors is a fantastic way to boost your mood, clear your head and benefit from fresh air in local parks and greenspaces.

For more information on Paths for All’s National Walking Month campaign and how to get involved, visit: https://pathsforall.org.uk/win

In images: The bleak future of the UK’s national parks visualised

  • Artist impressions show the stark future of UK national parks based on current walking habits
  • Images show the impact of footpath erosion and littering on iconic locations like the Lake District and Snowdonia 
  • Research names the Peak District as the national park most in need of protection

New images have been released which show the stark future of the UK’s national parks if current walking behaviours continue, with footpath erosion and mass littering having a massive impact on our favourite natural spaces.

Rohan, the outdoor and travel clothing company, has been inspiring people to adventure into the great British countryside since 1972, so as part of its 50th anniversary, the company is launching a range of initiatives, such as research into the nation’s walking habits, to help raise awareness of and protect the areas that the public know and love.

For National Walking Month (May), Rohan used a variety of data sources, such as visitor numbers and environmental offences, to identify the national parks most in need of protection, and then looked ahead 50 years to see what they could look like if no action is taken.

The Great Ridge, Peak District

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The Peak District, the UK’s oldest national park, tops the list, with the latest data showing a staggering 178% increase in visitors between 2016-19.

The Great Ridge, which leads up to Mam Tor, is one of its most popular routes, and artists have visualised how heavy footfall could widen and damage the footpath.

Cat Bells, The Lake District

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The Lake District takes second place, with over two million annual visitors and by far the most online interest of all the parks.

The park’s website was viewed almost 100 million times in 2021 and there are nearly 130 million hashtags mentioning the Lake District on Instagram and TikTok.

Snowdonia

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The impact of the post-lockdown tourism boom in Snowdonia has been well-documented, but visitor numbers were already on the increase before the pandemic, with a 60% rise between 2016-19.

There were nearly two million Google searches for the park last year, which is second only to the Lake District.

Loch Lomond

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The most under-pressure Scottish national park is Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, which is home to popular Munros such as Ben Lomond, and the internationally renowned West Highland Way.

In 2021, there were over 30 million visits to its official website, which was the second-highest of any UK national park.

Joanne Backshall, Programme Manager at Fix the Fells, explains what footpath erosion is, how people can help to minimise it and what could happen to the UK’s favourite routes in the next 50 years if they aren’t protected:

“Footpath erosion is where trampling has killed vegetation and exposed bare soil and loose stone, which gets washed away to create unsightly gullies and scars in the landscape.

“It’s caused by a combination of people and rainwater, and the severity is largely determined by the number of walkers and how many stray from the designated path.

“If no action is taken to look after paths and repair damage, then erosion will spread – more vegetation will be trampled and die, more soil and stone will be exposed and washed away, and ultimately more of our stunning mountain tops, ridges and main routes will become gullied and ugly.

Giles Polito, Marketing Director at Rohan, said: “We’re incredibly fortunate in the UK to have such stunning national parks on our doorstep and it’s fantastic that so many people are getting out to enjoy them.

“Since our launch in 1972, we’ve always encouraged the nation to head outside and explore these spaces, but it’s also important that we do everything we can to protect them, particularly those with high footfall, so that future generations can appreciate them as much as we do.

“We all have a joint responsibility to look after the British countryside and listening to and supporting charities like Fix the Fells is a great way to play your part.”

For more research about the future of the UK’s national parks, visit: 

https://www.rohan.co.uk/explore/nationalparks 

Scots take to nature to help improve mental wellbeing

WALKING in nature and embracing the outdoors are key to boosting wellbeing, says Scottish charity Paths for All on Mental Health Awareness Week.

Throughout the last year, most of the population turned to nature and the outdoors as a coping mechanism during the pandemic and Paths for All is urging the public to keep this up as restrictions ease.

Walking in nature is accessible and easy, with most Scots benefiting from stunning natural environments close to home – with our towns, cities and rural areas having access to brilliant paths, parks and coastlines.

It comes after this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme focuses on nature, which the charity believes can hugely benefit our physical health and mental wellbeing.

A report published by NatureScot found an increased proportion of the population reported health and wellbeing benefits from time spent outdoors connecting with nature during lockdown.

70% of respondents indicated that outdoor activities and engaging with nature between August -September 2020 helped them to de-stress, relax and unwind – up from 63% in March to May.

Picking litter on walks, enjoying watching and listening to birds, or spotting signs of spring such as bluebells appearing are all simple ways we can make a connection with nature.

Paths for All offers a wide range of online resources to help people understand how to connect and enjoy nature whilst offering a variety of ideas, activities and information designed to motivate people of all ages to get outdoors.

Frances Bain, Walking for Health Manager at Paths for All said: “Giving our body and mind a boost, especially after the past year, is so important and right now is the perfect time to do it.

“Not only is May National Walking Month, but we’re also really pleased to see that this week’s Mental Health Awareness Week has such a focus on the benefits of connecting with nature.

“Walking outdoors is a fantastic way to boost your mood, clear your head and benefit from fresh air in local parks and greenspaces.

“You can even take it a step further by really noticing nature when you’re out walking, such as listening to bird song, immersing yourself in a woodland walk or looking after nature by doing a spot of litter picking.

“The power of walking and the positive effects it can have on people’s wellbeing are endless and we believe that everyday walking is key to a healthier, happier Scotland.”

Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week is running from 10-16 May 2021 with this year’s theme being nature.

The charity has a variety of podcasts available on most popular podcast players or its website, which have been designed to help people unwind while walking, by interacting with nature.  

A guided walking meditation track, Mind to Walk, is also free for people to listen to on their walks, narrated and presented by DJ Edith Bowman.

The 25-minute-long track acts as a guided meditation, helping listeners relax their minds and connect to their surroundings as they take a walk.

Paths for All believes regular walking is key to leading a happy and healthy life, and it’s even more important for people to continue enjoying safe walks where it is safe and appropriate to do so with the huge array of associated benefits.

Paths for All’s aim is to significantly increase the number of people who choose to walk in Scotland, whether it’s walking for leisure or walking to work, school or to the shops.

For more information on Paths for All, visit: https://www.pathsforall.org.uk

Top Scottish Walking Award for charity worker Magdalena

Expert judges announce the winners of ten categories in first walking awards

A Fife charity worker who runs a walking group to help migrants boost their health, social life and spoken English has been named as the first-ever overall champion of the Scottish Walking Awards.

The panel of expert judges were wowed by Magdalena Augustyn-Lygas’ successful coordination of Sole Sisters community health walk project, run by Fife Migrants Forum.

Magdalena scooped the Community Walking Champion and Overall Champion titles, following more than 160 entries being submitted to ten categories earlier this spring.

Nominations included everything from businesses, councils, land managers and housing associations to the journalists, staff and local volunteers who are inspiring others to step out.

Lee Craigie, who is Scotland’s Active Nation Commissioner and chaired the judging panel, said: “Magdalena, and the wider Sole Sisters project, champion the impact that walking can have on health, social connection and wellbeing in all that they do.

“We were incredibly impressed by Magdalena’s focus on ensuring the benefits of walking reach a truly diverse audience, and keeping it going during the pandemic.”

The Sole Sisters project brings together women from the migrant and local community through walks in Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline, providing regular health walks and conversation cafes, enabling participants to make social connections and build confidence speaking English. 

During the pandemic, Magdalena has worked tirelessly to keep the project going, organising online workshops and group activities wherever restrictions allowed. Recently, she has supported the Scottish Health Walk Network to translate Paths for All’s health walk advice into nine new languages to reach even more people across Scotland.

Magdalena (top, left) said: “I am delighted to win this award, for the work we have done through the Sole Sisters walking group.

“The project has been really important for reducing barriers to walking for migrant women, increasing cultural understanding and reducing isolation, and increasing physical and mental wellbeing.

“While it has been challenging to keep the work going during the pandemic, we are so pleased with what the project has been able to achieve. Sole Sisters is not only about walking, but also about building strong, lasting relationships within the community.”

As well as Overall Champion, ten other outstanding individuals, companies and projects were named as category winners for their efforts to support people to walk more:

  • Public Sector Walking Champion:
    #DGMilesforSmiles in Dumfries & Galloway. This walking project has received excellent community buy-in and built links with schools.
     
  • Community Walking Champion:
    Magdalena Augustyn-Lygas in Fife.
     
  • Business Walking Champion: 
    Milngavie Business Improvement District in East Dunbartonshire. This project brought together business, council and community representatives to develop and promote walking throughout the town.
     
  • Walking Research / Innovation:
    Out There Award across Scotland. Ramblers Scotland’s free award helps 18 to 26-year-olds kick-start their journey into the outdoors, while learning skills, meeting friends and getting active.
     
  • Most Improved Walking Place:
    Auchmountain Glen Project in Inverclyde. This volunteer-led project delivered significant improvements for walkers, such as installing walkways while tackling antisocial behaviour to transform a former ‘no go area’ into a community asset.
     
  • Land Manager Walking Champion:
    Alcan Aluminium (UK) Ltd in Fife. The company has given significant support to communities to develop accessible routes near its lochs and land that encourage walking and wheeling.
     
  • Walking Champion in Education:
    Cara McBrearty, Active Schools Co-ordinator in North Lanarkshire. She has helped teenage girls get walking with her initial project at one school now rolled out to another ten schools,- with S6 girls trained to offer peer support as walk leaders.
     
  • Healthcare Professional Walking Champion:
    Dr. Katie Walter in the Highlands. She campaigns and advocates for improved walking across the Highlands and beyond, regularly engages politicians, fellow health professionals and press.
     
  • Social Housing Association Walking Champion:
    Cassiltoun Housing Association in Glasgow. The association has worked hard with its community to enhance the physical environment and encourage people to walk and use the greenspace.
     
  • Media / Online Walking Champion:
    Ross Cunningham in Fife. He has had great success using his Mountains Mend Minds social media platform to help people improve their mental health through hillwalking, in particular supporting men who can be reluctant to discuss such issues. 

Craig McLaren, chair of the National Walking Strategy Delivery Forum, said: “The range of projects nominated for the first Scottish Walking Awards shows that there is fantastic work happening all over Scotland, with community projects at the heart of a movement to get people walking.

“Projects like these are vital for keeping our communities active and connected and we were so pleased to see so many worthwhile nominations and winners.”

The Scottish Walking Awards are organised by Paths for All, Ramblers Scotland, and Living Streets, in conjunction with the National Walking Strategy Delivery Forum.

The winners are announced as part of National Walking Month.

Poll reveals why we love walking

  • Poll released for Living Streets’ National Walking Month reveals what people have enjoyed most about walking more this past year.
  • Three in four will keep walking as lockdown restrictions ease to stay physically healthy, whilst a third will do so to reduce their carbon footprint.  
  • Over half of 18-24 year olds walked to keep in touch with loved ones during lockdown.
  • Poll also revealed what would encourage people to return to their local high street with over one in four saying they would visit more if there was less traffic.
  • Living Streets is urging people to #WalkThisMay and pledge to walk their short journeys.   
  • Poll results are for Great Britain.

The past year has seen people walking more and new research released for Living Streets’ National Walking Month reveals what Brits have enjoyed most about it. 

Living Streets, the UK walking charity for everyday walking polled Brits to find out what they have enjoyed most about walking more and what would encourage them to keep walking as lockdown restrictions ease.

The vast majority of people enjoyed the health benefits offered by a daily walk, with 76 per cent naming physical health benefits and 56 per cent the mental health benefits of being active.

Walking was also seen as a good way to meet friends and family in a safe and legal way (36%) and to discover new places (29%), whilst one in five (21%) enjoyed the financial savings from walking instead of driving.

Meeting up with friends and family was particularly important to younger people, with over half (56%) of 18-24 year olds using a walk to keep in touch during lockdown.

Traffic levels initially fell during lockdown, leading to improvements in congestion, air quality and noise pollution. Living Streets wants people to keep walking their short journeys and polled people to find out what would encourage them to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Health benefits came out top, with 74 per cent saying they would continue walking to maintain their physical health and 54 per cent to maintain their mental health. Respondents also recognised the wider benefits from walking more with 33 per cent saying they would keep walking to reduce their carbon footprint, 27 per cent to reduce air pollution and 22 per cent to reduce traffic.

Living Streets is urging the public to ‘Walk this May’ for National Walking Month. The charity has launched an online pledge, asking people to commit to walk a certain number of short journeys each week. After making their pledge, people are shown how many miles they will walk, calories they will burn and the amount of CO2 they will avert compared to if they drove those journeys.

Mary Creagh, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “Walking is good for our minds, our bodies and our neighbourhoods and has helped us stay active and connected this past year.

“As well as the mental and physical health benefits, we have seen the improvements to congestion and air quality when people drive less. That’s why we want people to #WalkThisMay. By walking the roadmap out of the pandemic, we can emerge healthier and happier.”

As non-essential shops re-open, the poll also asked what would encourage people to return to their local high street. Over a third of respondents would visit if there were more outdoor eating areas (38%), more public toilets (36%) and less cluttered pavements (34%).

Respondents also identified measures to make their high streets more welcoming, including more places to stop and rest (31%), more trees (30%) and less pollution (29%).More than one in four would visit their high street more if there was less traffic (27%).

Ahead of elections nationwide on 6 May, Living Streets has produced A Manifesto for Walking, asking candidates to pledge to make walking easier and cut pavement clutter. The manifesto sets out four key asks of candidates: end pedestrian deaths and injuries on roads; tackle air pollution; make school streets safe; and make walking easier and cut pavement clutter.

Mary Creagh continues: “Our towns and cities rely on people getting out and visiting their local high streets.

“By making streets safer and more welcoming with slower speeds, less traffic and more green space, candidates can protect jobs and help local businesses bounce back.”

Exhibition puts the benefits of walking in the frame

An exhibition that captures the faces and stories of people who champion the joy of everyday walking in Scotland is launching this weekend.  The Humans of the Walk portrait photography exhibition celebrates the many ways in which walking improves physical, mental and social health, regardless of age or ability. Continue reading Exhibition puts the benefits of walking in the frame

Two and a half hours of exercise a week? That’s a step too far for many

  • 1 in 5 Brits don’t think 150 minutes of exercise a week is realistic;
  • Not having enough time, the weather and work are top reasons for not moving more; 
  • A fifth of young people don’t exercise because they don’t want to break a sweat;
  • Left holding the baby: women are more likely to be less active because of childcare commitments;
  • A third of adults in England walk for less than 10 minutes during an entire week. In Scotland, 31 per cent of adults haven’t walked as a means of transport once in the last weekend 30 per cent of adults in Wales haven’t walked as transport for at least five minutes once a week.
  • Living Streets is urging people to #Try20 and walk for 20 minutes a day throughout National Walking Month this May

One in five people in the UK don’t think it’s realistic to do 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, according to new data released today by charity Living Streets to mark the start of National Walking Month. Continue reading Two and a half hours of exercise a week? That’s a step too far for many