Ramblers Wellbeing Walks - Maidstone

Supported locally by Maidstone Borough Council’s Healthy Living section, Ramblers Wellbeing Walks, a national organisation, have a team of trained volunteer Walk Leaders leading easy walks in the Maidstone area every week. And they are free.

Walking, a low impact activity, is recognised as helping to keep heart, lungs, bones and muscles strong, building more energy and reducing the risk of developing ailments such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some other forms of cancer. And walking is fun, getting you out into the fresh air to enjoy both the exercise and meeting socially with other like-minded people.

Currently there are walks being run on Tuesdays in Mote Park, Wednesdays near Maidstone Hospital, Thursdays from the town centre down onto the river and the second and fourth Fridays around Coxheath.

There is a wish to extend the benefit of these walks to other areas of the town, and talks are already advanced in Park Wood. Your local surgery here at Bower Mount used to host such walks, but they stopped when Covid restricted that sort of activity. There is now an interest to re-establish weekly walks provided there is sufficient interest.

The walks will all be easy, not hikes, normally lasting only around the hour and on good, safe surfaces. In order to get these up and running it will be necessary to find and train local Walk Leaders, who would take it in turn to lead walks. The training would be free and carried out locally. The Walk Leader of the day will decide which from a list of risk assessed repetitive walks the group should undertake, and will take a register of those present. Depending on the number of walkers they may ask one to assist them by acting as the ‘back marker’ to make sure no one gets left behind. The walks will have pauses at appropriate intervals along the way to check everybody is enjoying the occasion.

At the end of the walk the Walk Leader will recheck everybody is safely returned and, ideally, there will be an opportunity for the group to complete the outing by having a coffee or similar together, giving additional scope to develop the social aspects of the walks.

If you are interested in joining such walks as a potential Walk Leader, or just as a walker, please get in touch with Jason Fleming on 01622 357 259 or email him on Jason.fleming1@nhs.net  here at the surgery. They will then keep you advised on progress.

Published: Mar 6, 2024