Ramblers Wellbeing Walks are free, short walks that take place across the county, designed to help you take the first step towards better health, wellbeing and happiness. And across England and Wales, our network of Ramblers Wellbeing Walks partners are finding new and novel ways to help people get outdoors.  

By working hand in hand with their local communities and partnering up with other local organisations, they’re developing walking programmes that respond directly to the needs of their area. 

1. Lights, camera, active! 

A good walk doesn’t have to be about exercise: it can be the perfect opportunity to indulge a favourite hobby or even pick up a new one entirely. And from birdwatching to stargazing, there’s a whole range of things you can get up to while out for a stroll.  

Working alongside an Adult Learning service, Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Cumbria have created a regular series of smart phone photography walks, encouraging their walkers to hone the art of snapping a great photo. Starting off from different locations, each week, each walk includeds a number of stops for walkers to get their smart phone cameras out, giving them a chance to develop their skills and discovering a whole new passion while getting out and active.  

2. Tackling a lack of local transport 

Deciding to go out walking with a group is only the first step; you then need to find a way to get yourself to the start of the walk. And with 21.7% of UK households in the UK not having access to a car, a figure that rises to 37% among households on the lowest incomes, many are reliant on public transport.  

In Stockport, research discovered a persistent blocker to people getting out walking – many in the community were struggling to get to the start location of groups walks due to a lack of access to transport. So Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Stockport devised a creative solution: they began offering indoor confidence-building walks at Brinnington Leisure Centre.  

As well as being much more accessible by public transport, holding the walks inside the leisure centre means walkers can drop in and out at any point, with chairs laid out in the middle of the hall and refreshments available in the café at any point.  

3. Creating a safe space for women 

A lack of local transport isn’t the only blocker that can prevent people getting out walking – busy schedules and time constraints can mean there are few windows where people can get outdoors. This problem is even more pronounced in the winter months, as the days grow shorter and it begins to get dark before the end of the working day.  

So to help create a safe space for women to meet up for gentle exercise in the evening, Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Plymouth have created a women-only Wellbeing Walk. Taking place in one of the city’s parks every week, this new walk offers women who may otherwise be too busy to get outside during the day the chance to exercise, unwind and get outdoors in a safe environment.  

4. Encouraging sensory and social connections 

Creating the right walk for your local community is not just about tackling barriers to access. It is also crucial to respond to the needs of the people who live in it.  

In partnership with the charity Sense, Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Newham have developed two new sensory walks at two different locations across the borough. Specifically designed for those in the community with sensory impairments and complex disabilities, these provide walkers with an opportunity to develop social connections and explore the use of their senses while staying active.