Natural England

Ben Bradshaw MP, Minister of State at the Department of Health accompanied the Tavistock Walk and Talk Scheme today (Thursday 24 July), to urge more people from all walks of life, to get out and get active.

Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England joined Ben Bradshaw on the walk which marks the launch of three new publications under the banner ‘Walk More … Feel the Difference’.

The new publications are designed to encourage less active people to start walking and include two special versions, one for adults with learning difficulties and one endorsed by the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

Ben Bradshaw said, “These new leaflets will help more people to enjoy the countryside for their health and wellbeing. They will reach over 100,000 people across the country via healthcare professionals and social networks, encouraging more and more people to get out and get active in the natural environment.”

“Walking is one of the best ways to enjoy the natural environment and improve your health,” said Sir Martin Doughty who presented the Tavistock Walk and Talk Scheme with a certificate of its new accreditation* as part of the Walking your Way to Health Initiative. WHI - a joint initiative between Natural England and the British Heart Foundation – represents the largest national programme promoting and setting the standards for led health walks.

“Walking groups are crucial to the success of the WHI scheme and we are delighted to provide the Tavistock Walk and Talk group with accreditation today. The group will benefit from being part of a nationally evaluated scheme, providing local health professionals with added confidence that they can refer patients to take part in these walks, and encouraging people to explore more of the beautiful Devon countryside,” Sir Martin continued.

Mayor of West Devon Cllr Terry Pearce said the Borough Council, who manage the Walk and Talk Scheme, has been delighted with its success. He said that partnership working between the Council, Natural England and 5x30 Health Promotion Project has enabled the project to flourish.

He said: “Schemes such as this can bring great benefits to those who take part. We live in such a beautiful area where there are some superb places to walk and this project gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy and explore and keep healthy too.

“We are also extremely fortunate to have wonderful volunteers who have been trained to lead these health walks and without them the scheme wouldn’t exist.”

Accepting the award on behalf of the Tavistock Walk and Talk Scheme, Kate Wright, said: “Tavistock Walk and Talk is proud to receive the accreditation. Our group provides a safe and friendly way for people to get fitter and enjoy our beautiful local environment. We welcome new walkers throughout the year. If you’d like to walk with us or train as a ‘Walking the Way to Health’ Volunteer Walk Leader please contact the Scheme Co-ordinator, Hannah Colston on 07990 804756.”

Notes to editors

Press/media are invited to attend the event from 14.00hrs. Please meet at the Wharf Arts Centre, Canal Road, Tavistock. Photo opportunity as Ben Bradshaw and Sir Martin Doughty take part in a ‘Walking the way to Health’ walk.

For more information please contact Natural England’s Communications Officer, Dot Isgrove on 01823 281803 or 07880 784757 or email: dot.isgrove@naturalengland.org.uk. or Alison Stoneham, Senior Communications Officer, West Devon Borough Council on 01822 813648, email: astoneham@westdevon.gov.uk

1. *Accreditation: To achieve accreditation, the group successfully demonstrated they have met the ‘Walking the way to Health’ scheme’s high standards. This includes offering led walks for beginners, offering safe, insured walks and collecting basic monitoring information.



2. Publications: In addition to our main 'Walk more...feel the difference' leaflet we have developed two versions for specific audiences. The EasyRead version of this leaflet is designed for adults with learning difficulties and has been developed in partnership with Mencap. The version for visually impaired people has been endorsed by the Royal National Institute for the Blind. All three leaflets are available to download at www.whi.org.uk/publications.



3. The event will be at the Wharf Arts Centre in Tavistock - for more information about the event please contact Natural England’s Co-ordinator for Healthy Walking in Devon, Jo Birbeck on 07770 646476.



4. Walking the way to Health Initiative(WHI): WHI is the largest national body promoting and setting the standards for led health walks. It is a joint initiative between Natural England and the British Heart Foundation.

   WHI aims to get more people walking in their own communities, especially those who take little exercise or live in areas of poor health. The initiative has helped to create 525 local health walk schemes across England and has trained over 34,000 Volunteer Walk Leaders. We support schemes through training for walk leaders, advice on setting up a new scheme, insurance, evaluation and free leaflets to help promote walking.

   Our health walks are free to participants and provide an easy way of getting regular exercise. There is compelling evidence of the benefits of moderate physical activity. Those who exercise enjoy greater life expectancy with reduced risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colonic cancer and osteoporosis. Walking can also be a catalyst for connecting people with many other aspects of health, such as healthy eating, stopping smoking and relaxation. Many WHI health walk schemes have their own web page on the WHI Walk Finder, displaying details of their walks and how to get involved.

   To find out about health walks in your area please visit www.naturalengland.org.uk/campaigns/health or www.whi.org.uk

5. West Devon Borough Council helped secure £1,000 funding for the project in May 2007 from TRAVELWISE and in August 2007 went into partnership with 5x30 and Natural England to establish Tavistock Walk and Talk. The first walks began in September 2007. The project is featured regularly in the region’s media.



6. Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings. For more information: www.naturalengland.org.uk