Mid Sussex District Council and Glendale celebrate 20 years of Healthy Walks

We recently arranged a celebratory walk, followed by tea and cake, for our volunteer walk leaders and walkers to mark the occasion. It was a great success with many walkers and leaders reminiscing about the changes and improvements over time, whilst enjoying the delicious cake. Many friendships have been formed through the different walks available and socialising is now just as key as the walking! It was really special to welcome a few of our walkers who have been with us from the start.

In 2005, the Healthy Walks were launched with fortnightly walks led by the Ranger team. Since then, the scheme has expanded with the recruitment and training of volunteers to lead our walks, with our support. The walk programme is now bursting with walks pitched at 5 different levels to suit all abilities - from a gentle half hour Level 1 walk on paved paths, right up to a faster-paced 3 hour cross-country walk.

We currently have around 30 active volunteer walk leaders providing several walks a week across Mid Sussex, offering the opportunity to explore all corners of this beautiful district. We greatly appreciate our walk leaders and thank them for helping to make the scheme the success it is today, as we couldn’t do it without them.

The walks are designed to help you get fit, offering numerous benefits for enhancing both physical and mental health, including improving cardio-vascular health, maintaining a healthy weight and boosting mood. It can also help reduce stress, improve sleep and increase energy levels, plus it’s a great way to meet people and make new friends.

To view the current programme and to find out more about our Healthy Walks,please visit the Mid Sussex District Council website www.midsussex.gov.uk/healthywalks and find a walk to suit you.