Lottery Grant For Group That Offers Walking, Talking And Increasing Your Pulse

Published on: 3 Aug, 2017
Updated on: 6 Aug, 2017

Guildford Walking for Health (GWfH) Association has been awarded a grant by the Big Lottery Fund to continue three existing walk groups as well as to fund a new group with walks from the Artists’ Village Watts Gallery at Compton and at Shalford.

It will also fund the hire of a community bus to take walkers from the Stoughton, Bellfields and Slyfield areas to the Whitmoor Common group, plus first-aid training for volunteer walk leaders. All its walks are free to go on.

Benefits of walking include improved mental health, it helps prevent diabetes, helps to reduce weight, boosts your immune system, prevents development of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in certain groups… and you make new friends!

GWfH is a community group run by volunteers. It aims to reduce the stress on the NHS. Walking for Health is a national walk scheme under the umbrella of Macmillan & the Ramblers. The Guildford walk group has been in existence since 2009, and offers free health walks for everyone over 18 years of age.

The co-ordinator of GWfH, Annelize Kidd, said: ‘’Walking has so many benefits. Improved mental health, it helps prevent diabetes, helps to reduce weight, boosts your immune system, prevents development of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in certain groups.

“You have improved muscle strength, and functioning of heart and lungs, it helps reduce blood pressure, and can have a significant impact on the risks associated with two of the most common forms of cancer…. and you make new friends!

‘’The Whitmoor Common walks have been going for over a year now, and we offer 30-minute and one-hour walks on Friday mornings at 11am from the Jolly Farmer pub car park, Burdenshott Road, GU3 3RN.

“We thought it would be a good idea if we could get a local community bus to bring walkers from the surrounding neighbourhoods to their nearest health walks, to include more people who want to try out the 30-minute walk.

‘’The free bus service to the Whitmoor walk group will have four collection points: from the car park at the Stoughton Road, Bellfields GP surgery; the car park at the Red Rose Indian restaurant, Slyfield; the car park at The Old School House, Old Farm Road, Slyfield; and the car park at the Guildford Children’s Centre, Hazel Avenue, Bellfields.

“We hope to have the community bus service up and running by the end of July. The Bellfields and Slyfield areas of Guildford have the highest proportion of people with health issues, and we really feel that we can make a difference.

“The walks start from the Jolly Farmer pub at 11 am, and we have optional refreshments after the walk, providing an opportunity for people to socialise and make friends.”

The co-ordinator of Guildford Walking for Health, Annelize Kidd.

As part of the grant, a new walk group has been launched. Annelize said: “As we already had walk groups to the east, west, and north of Guildford, we felt a walk group on the south side of Guildford made sense.

“The new walk group is called The Watt’s & Shalford group. It offers one-hour and 30-minute walks either in the woodland around the Artists’ Village Watts Gallery, or along the River Wey from the Seahorse Inn at Shalford.”

These circular walks will take place twice monthly on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, from the overflow car park behind the Seahorse Inn (GU4 8BU); and twice monthly, on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, from the overflow car park at the Artists’ Village Watts Gallery (GU3 1DQ). Local special interest walks will also be arranged.

Walkers will have the option of staying for refreshments and a social after the walks.

Other walk groups that are part of Guildford Walking for Health are the Fairlands group, with 30-minute to one-hour walks from the Merrist Wood Golf Club car park at 10am on Wednesday mornings, and the Boxgrove walk group, offering more strenuous 60- to 90-minute walks at 10am from the Peacocks greengrocer and delicatessen in Boxgrove Park.

For full details of walks click here for Guildford Walking for Health’s website.

Its walks will also be part of this year’s Guildford Walkfest taking place in September. Click here for details.

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