Natural England walks for Sport Relief!
12 March 2010
Natural England is to practice what it preaches as staff gear up to take part in a series of lunch-time walks, with the launch walk to coincide with Sport Relief.
The walks are part of Natural England’s Walking for Health (WfH) scheme, launched in 2000, which aims to encourage people to get outdoors and attend regular walks in order to improve their health and reconnect with their natural environment.
There are nearly 80 health walks that take place across the East Midlands region, with participants meeting on a regular basis to undertake purposeful, brisk walks. Every walk is led by a dedicated Volunteer Walk Leader and proven highly successful and far-reaching to a wide variation of people.
Betty Farmer, Walk Leader for Hucknall Taking Steps Walk Group in Nottingham said: “We began with around 12 to 15 participants and our group has rapidly grown with 35 to 40 regular walkers. Our members are aged over 60 and we meet on a twice-weekly basis. Since joining our walks, their health and fitness levels have vastly improved and we now occasionally visit areas further afield such as Wollaton and Attenborough.”
Now Natural England is set to join the very people it has been targeting, with staff from Nottingham to meet on a weekly basis to undertake walks around the local area. Natural England Health & Environment Adviser, Ruth Keeley, commented: “We’re really looking forward to the office walks and are hoping they will prove to be a great success. We are hoping that the launch walk will be the start of getting everyone in our office more active, whilst raising money for a great cause!”
To get involved with a walk near you, contact Natural England Health & Environment Advisers, Ruth Keeley on 0300 0604543 or Sarah Shepheard on 0300 0600482, or visit the Walking for Health website to find your nearest Health Walk
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Notes to editors:
For further information, please email Charlene Kumar, Natural England Communications Advisor, or call 0300 060 2828. Read our press releases.
Visit the Sport Relief website to find out more about the charity and how you can help.
Walking for Health
Natural England’s Walking for Health (WfH) encourages you to enjoy your local natural spaces and benefit your health by taking part in health walks. We’re the largest national body promoting and setting the standards for led health walks. Visit the Walking for Health website to find out more.
About Natural England
Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
