The Ramblers’ Association (RA) is gearing up to show Londoners why the capital is best seen on foot during London Walking Weekend (15-16 September). The packed weekend of walking activity organised by Transport for London and supported by the RA, Walk London and Living Streets will be the perfect opportunity to find out how to make everyday journeys healthier.
The RA will be showcasing its new Get Walking Keep Walking programme which aims to help people build easy, local walking into their everyday lives – even if they live in a city. As well as health and leisure walks the RA wants more people to take everyday trips on foot, such as to the shops, school or work.
A free Get Walking Keep Walking booklet, perfect for complete beginners to walking, is available from the Ramblers’ Association. The RA is also running free locally-based 12-week walking programmes in several major cities, combining information and motivation with led walks and other activities. Walking programmes are being set up in partnership with community groups, schools, the NHS, children’s centres and local leisure centres to encourage as many people as possible to walk.
The project is supported by presenter and actress Floella Benjamin, who says: “My favourite place to walk in London is along the Embankment from Westminster to the Tower of London, because I discover the old and the new London.”
And comedy actress June Whitfield has also lent her support, saying: “Wimbledon Common is a great place for a walk, but so is walking around the shops – even if it’s window shopping!”
Actress Patsy Palmer says: “My favourite London walk is on Hampstead Heath with my kids. Keep on walking!”
Simon Waters, Head of Promoting Walking at the RA, said: “Walking is one of the best forms of exercise, it’s free and a great family activity. Despite the fact that London is a very walker friendly city few of us explore it on foot. Many people in inner-city areas don’t walk because of a lack of confidence or knowledge about places to go. Through Get Walking Keep Walking we are encouraging them to overcome these barriers and find out why the capital is best seen on foot.”
Representatives from Transport for London will be on hand at the ‘Why not walk it?’ marquee on the South Bank (on the Thames Path outside the South Bank Centre – 12pm – 6pm) and the RA is organising walks from Burgess Park in Peckham and Kennington Park to the South Bank. There’s also lots of fun to be had for the family at the Ramblers Family Walk from Finsbury Park to Highgate. And Metropolitan Walkers – an RA walking group for people in their 20s and 30s – are organising a host of long and short walks.
