Bury Live Well Service offers you the joys of walking

Join the national Ramblers Wellbeing Walks network – newcomers to walking welcome!

Many people have recently found a new love of walking especially following the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. They have discovered how great it is for your health and your physical and mental wellbeing.

If you would like to get into walking, explore your local greenspace, but not sure where to go, how to get there or perhaps don’t have anyone to go with, then Bury Walk with Me short-led walks, delivered through the Bury Live Well Service and its local partners, are here to help!

Bury Walk with Me is part of the national Ramblers Wellbeing Walks network. We provide group walks led by trained volunteer walk leaders. All walks are specially designed to be short (up to 90 minutes) and over easy ground, so they are ideal if you have never walked before or are just getting started after a long period of inactivity. They are a great way to meet new people and walk in good company, and to give your health and wellbeing a boost.

To help you get started, each Wednesday throughout August, between 10am and 2pm, you can drop in and sign up for free at one of our Bury Wellbeing Walks Registration Events being held at participating Bury Libraries.

Our friendly volunteer walk leaders will be there to welcome you and answer any walking-related questions you may have. You can also find out more about the types of walks we offer, where we go and where your nearest short-led walks are taking place. All our led walks are free to attend, you don’t need any fancy gear to get started and we walk at a steady pace to suit you, so no one gets left behind!

Walks organised by the Bury Live Well Service through the Bury Walk with Me Wellbeing Walks Partnership are held weekly across the borough including walks in Bury, Prestwich, Radcliffe, Ainsworth, Greenmount, Summerseat, Burrs, Birtle and Chesham.

You can find out more at https://beta.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/wellbeing-walks-groups/ramblers-wellbeing-walks-bury or by emailing walkwithme@bury.gov.uk or contact the Bury Live Well Service on: 0161 253 7575

Even a small amount of walking will give your health and wellbeing a significant boost if you are currently not active, as Joy found out. Before the pandemic lockdowns, she hadn’t really been out walking, but a neighbour suggested they join a local group walk. They enjoyed meeting new people from their area, and Joy says: “The feeling after the walk is amazing…You just feel it does so much good, for me and my mental health. I feel so good after the walk.”

The Ramblers Wellbeing Walks network draws on years of experience. The Ramblers is Britain’s largest walking community – it was founded in 1935 and is dedicated to inspiring everyone to enjoy open skies, fresh air and the feeling of freedom that comes from walking outdoors. It has been organising health walks since 2012 (please see notes to editors for more information).

Councillor Tamoor Tariq, cabinet member for adult care, health and wellbeing, said: “A warm welcome and lots of inspiration and support awaits you as you start your walking adventures! You’ll be in good company with our experienced Ramblers Wellbeing Walks leaders and like-minded walkers. Heading out together along tried-and-tested routes means enjoying, safely, the pleasures of walking together.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 26 July 2022.

Notes to editors:

• The Ramblers is a charity dedicated to opening the way so everyone can enjoy walking in green spaces, and to preserving and improving hundreds of thousands of miles of well-loved paths, tracks and trails across England, Scotland, and Wales. Since 1935, we’ve campaigned to keep our countryside open to all and fought for the things that matter most to walkers. www.ramblers.org.uk
• Ramblers Wellbeing Walks is England’s largest network of health walk schemes and helps all kinds of people lead a more active lifestyle. Our walks are short and over easy terrain -- they’re open to everyone but are developed to be accessible to people who have done little or no exercise before, or who would like support to stay active. 1,500 walks take place every week with 65,000 people taking part. Some of our walkers go on to take part in walks organised by their local Ramblers group. www.ramblers.org.uk
• Ramblers Wellbeing Walks evolved during 2021 from the Ramblers Walking for Health programme which began in 1996, and which was supported by Sport England from 2019 to 2021.