Three volunteers in Yeovil have received celebratory pin badges to recognise their dedication to leading Health Walks in Yeovil.
The leaders – Jean Phillips and Ian and Shirley Holloway – all took part in South Somerset District Council’s free Walk Leader training course and have since gone on to lead hundreds of walks between them.
Health Walks in South Somerset create more opportunities for people to exercise in their local community, reducing the need to travel and providing low cost activity. The walks are sustainable and enable people to explore their local countryside whilst becoming more active and sociable in a safe environment.
Sam Wenden-de-Lira, Healthy Lifestyles Officer at South Somerset District Council, said, “With the Yeovil health walk group having been established for many years, it is great to be able to award several of the leaders with a bronze pin badge as recognition for their continued time and effort in making sure the walks continue week in week out.
“Yeovil health walk group is one of longest running groups and has helped many people on their road to recovery as well as just generally helping people to start to be active. They are a very welcoming and friendly bunch who always stop for a hot drink and possibly a slice of cake after the walk. Yeovil Health Walks offer two separate opportunities including a level walk aimed at people who benefit from more gentle exercise.
One of the volunteers, Jean Phillips, said “I like to think that we are all discovering the joys of walking in the Yeovil area whilst taking responsibility for our own health. As a Walk Leader I really like it when someone tells me they’ve lived in Yeovil for a number of years and ‘never been here before’. It’s also great to see people enjoying each other’s company.”
Councillor Sylvia Seal, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture at South Somerset District Council said, “Working with volunteers like Jean, Ian and Shirley enables us to offer such a wide variety of walking opportunities across South Somerset. The walks in Yeovil form part of a successful health walk scheme which has seen attendances rise to more than 7,300 last year.
“We are proud that our scheme is accredited by Walking for Health which means that our walks comply with the required safety and insurance standards.”
To find out more about health walks in South Somerset visit www.southsomerset.gov.uk/healthwalks or to find out about the next Health Walk Leader training course contact Charlie Coward on 01935 462347.
Photo L-R: Sam Wenden-de-Lira, Ian Holloway, Jean Phillips, Shirley Holloway and Charlie Coward (Healthy Lifestyles Officer at South Somerset District Council)
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