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Health Walks
Residents in Sevenoaks, Edenbridge, Swanley, New Ash Green and Hartley are being encouraged to take part in free health walks around their local parks. More Details View Transcript
View Synopsis
More information can be found at www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/healthwalks
Health Walks are also available in East Kent. For more information phone 0800 8494000 or email healthwalks@nhs.net
Health Walks are also available in East Kent. For more information phone 0800 8494000 or email healthwalks@nhs.net
View Synopsis
TOM CHOWN reports.
Residents in Sevenoaks and the surrounding towns are being encouraged to get out into the countryside and walk for up to an hour around their local parks. Here in the town centre, the weekly group, organized by the council and West Kent Health Authority, are set to embark on their stroll from the leisure centre around Knole Park.
SIMON DAVIES, Walk Leader, Sevenoaks District Council: 'It's about getting people active and out and about in their green spaces, it's about getting people out into parks, it's about getting people to reclaim their parks.
'The Health Walks are designed for people who do little or no exercise and it's a way of getting people out to do a little bit of exercise. They're meant to raise the heartbeat but not be too strenuous for people. But there's an important social aspect to them as well; it's about people coming out, meeting people, seeing their area and learning about themselves, really. But there's a very good keep fit element to these walks and the walking their way to health initiative is about getting people out on walks to do that little bit of exercise that will improve their health over a period of time.
Walks are also organized around Edenbrigde, New Ash Green, Swanley and Hartley with plans to roll the scheme out across the whole of the Sevenoaks District.
Cllr PAT BOSLEY, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Sevenoaks District Council: 'It's important because it keeps a high profile on being healthy and active and the council really supports that with a vigorous leisure and healthy lifestyles programme which not only means you go out walking, but activities for all ages, young people, elderly people... tea dances for instance for the elderly and it's really really good as councilor to be able to come out and meet the people who enjoy it and say that it's really worthwhile.
Cllr AVRIL HUNTER, Cabinet Member for Environment, Sevenoaks District Council: 'These sorts of walks are perfect because they give you a good chance to keep fit and a good chance to learn something about the environment and really we're so lucky to have a gem like Knole Park right on our doorstep, so I'm a great believer in doing these sort of educational-come-fun things, and it is fun, fun and sociable.'
The walks have proved very popular with high levels of attendance.
ANON, Females: Good idea, excellent, very good, very sociable, energetic, lots of new friends, rain or shine we're here. Snow or wind, we've done the snow one haven't we? Yes, fortunately haven't had the rain too much on Thursdays! In fact dare we say that we're often blessed that on a Thursday the weather changes for us so all I can say is come out for a walk on a Thursday and it'll be sunny.'
ANON, Male: 'It's fairly gentle, it's not strenuous and as I say as you can see it's very much a social event really.'
ANON, Female: 'It's good exercise and the fact that it's organized means that you actually do it, you make the effort whereas if it was left to you on your own at home thinking oh well I'll do it another day but because it's organized now then you come and do it.'
And in the middle of Knole Park there's even the opportunity for some wildlife spotting.
This weekly walk takes place on Thursdays, but there are full details of all the walks online at Sevenoaks District Council's website.
Residents in Sevenoaks and the surrounding towns are being encouraged to get out into the countryside and walk for up to an hour around their local parks. Here in the town centre, the weekly group, organized by the council and West Kent Health Authority, are set to embark on their stroll from the leisure centre around Knole Park.
SIMON DAVIES, Walk Leader, Sevenoaks District Council: 'It's about getting people active and out and about in their green spaces, it's about getting people out into parks, it's about getting people to reclaim their parks.
'The Health Walks are designed for people who do little or no exercise and it's a way of getting people out to do a little bit of exercise. They're meant to raise the heartbeat but not be too strenuous for people. But there's an important social aspect to them as well; it's about people coming out, meeting people, seeing their area and learning about themselves, really. But there's a very good keep fit element to these walks and the walking their way to health initiative is about getting people out on walks to do that little bit of exercise that will improve their health over a period of time.
Walks are also organized around Edenbrigde, New Ash Green, Swanley and Hartley with plans to roll the scheme out across the whole of the Sevenoaks District.
Cllr PAT BOSLEY, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Sevenoaks District Council: 'It's important because it keeps a high profile on being healthy and active and the council really supports that with a vigorous leisure and healthy lifestyles programme which not only means you go out walking, but activities for all ages, young people, elderly people... tea dances for instance for the elderly and it's really really good as councilor to be able to come out and meet the people who enjoy it and say that it's really worthwhile.
Cllr AVRIL HUNTER, Cabinet Member for Environment, Sevenoaks District Council: 'These sorts of walks are perfect because they give you a good chance to keep fit and a good chance to learn something about the environment and really we're so lucky to have a gem like Knole Park right on our doorstep, so I'm a great believer in doing these sort of educational-come-fun things, and it is fun, fun and sociable.'
The walks have proved very popular with high levels of attendance.
ANON, Females: Good idea, excellent, very good, very sociable, energetic, lots of new friends, rain or shine we're here. Snow or wind, we've done the snow one haven't we? Yes, fortunately haven't had the rain too much on Thursdays! In fact dare we say that we're often blessed that on a Thursday the weather changes for us so all I can say is come out for a walk on a Thursday and it'll be sunny.'
ANON, Male: 'It's fairly gentle, it's not strenuous and as I say as you can see it's very much a social event really.'
ANON, Female: 'It's good exercise and the fact that it's organized means that you actually do it, you make the effort whereas if it was left to you on your own at home thinking oh well I'll do it another day but because it's organized now then you come and do it.'
And in the middle of Knole Park there's even the opportunity for some wildlife spotting.
This weekly walk takes place on Thursdays, but there are full details of all the walks online at Sevenoaks District Council's website.
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