Nailsea health walk volunteers toast fifth anniversary!

A group of volunteer health walk leaders from Nailsea are celebrating five years of their community walking programme, which sees as many as 60 people walking every week.

The volunteers trained with North Somerset Council and NHS North Somerset in 2007 and launched their first walks in January 2008.

The Nailsea group is part of the national Walking for Health initiative. Groups are now established in six towns in North Somerset with 80 volunteer walk leaders involved. The regular walks are set up to encourage people who need to walk more to improve their health. The short walks last 30 minutes to an hour and welcome walkers of all abilities.

North Somerset Council Active Lifestyles Development Officer Bob Hill said: "People in Nailsea have really benefited from joining the regular health walks in and around the town. Many feel much fitter and have made new friends through the group."

He added: "The success of the Nailsea health walks is testament to how well the volunteers run the group. The walk leaders are very friendly, enthusiastic and offer various lengths of walk to suit the needs of whoever turns up on the day!"

The Nailsea group meets every Monday at 11am. Walks are on mainly flat terrain and are open to anyone. The starting point alternates monthly between Scotch Horn Leisure Centre and Grove Sports Centre, with an 'away' walk at the end of each month.

To find out more about health walks in Nailsea or more widely in North Somerset please contact North Somerset Council on 01275 882 730 or visit www.go4life.org