News Release
On the 10th anniversary of the first Holyrood elections, Shona Robison and Dennis Canavan are promoting walking at a Ramblers Scotland reception in the Parliament today.
Promoting walking is the key to delivering effective legacies from the London 2012 Olympics and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games
Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Public Health and Sport (1), and Dennis Canavan, Convener of Ramblers Scotland (2), will be speaking today in the Scottish Parliament to emphasise the importance of walking in delivering a health and sporting legacy from the London Olympic Games in 2012 and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Minister for Public Health and Sport, Shona Robison MSP, will say:
“Getting out of the car and off the couch makes us feel better about ourselves and also reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke.
“Hosting the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is not only about putting on a spectacular sporting extravaganza but also about leaving a lasting legacy of good health for the people of Scotland.
“We know walking is a great way to keep active so whether it’s getting off the bus a stop early or walking to the shops, I believe it is possible for everyone to keep active.”
Dennis Canavan will say:
“Promoting walking needs to be at the heart of our Games legacy plans. It is the most effective way to get more people fit and active by 2014. It is free, enjoyable and an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. We all need to promote walking wherever we can.”
Shona Robison and Dennis Canavan will be speaking at a reception, “Walk the Path to 2014” at 6pm on Wednesday 6 May in the Scottish Parliament which has been organised by Ramblers Scotland.
The event is sponsored and introduced by Michael Matheson MSP and will bring together key stakeholders in the fields of physical activity, health and sport, as well as members of Ramblers and other walking groups across Scotland.
The event will promote “Walk the Path to 2014”, a Ramblers Scotland plan to get a massive increase in the numbers of people walking as part of their everyday lives by the time of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games (3). The first stage of this plan includes the Ramblers’ Walk Homecoming 2009 campaign, which encourages all who live in or are visiting Scotland to enjoy our heritage by walking. “Medal” routes are being established from walking hubs across Scotland to help everyone to become fit and active and get out and about (4). The next big step along the way to Glasgow in 2014 will be the London 2012 Olympics, which will give further impetus to the need for more people to do more walking, wherever they live, from Shetland to the Isles of Scilly.
Ramblers members will be present to showcase the work of our 58 local Groups in Scotland. Also on display will be our new logo and other promotional material following the recent launch of the Ramblers new brand to reflect our ambitions for the future (5). The rebranding will help the Ramblers ensure that walking becomes a much more central part of people’s lives, for exercise, transport, leisure and pleasure.
Dennis Canavan will conclude: "It is fundamental that we use the Scottish Government’s Homecoming Scotland initiative in 2009, the lead up to the London Olympics in 2012 and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 to promote walking activity and make Scotland healthier, safer and stronger. We must all ‘Walk the Path to 2014’ to promote walking and physical activity ahead of and beyond 2014.”
ENDS
More information:
Notes:
(1) Shona Robison MSP is the Scottish Government’s Minister for Public Health and Sport. She was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and represents the constituency of Dundee East.
(2) Dennis Canavan was first elected to the House of Commons in 1974 and was a member of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 until he stood down in May 2007. He has a long-standing interest in sport and the outdoors – enjoying cycling, hill walking and horse riding. Dennis was Convener of the Cross Party Sports Group in the Scottish Parliament and Chair of the Scottish Sports Group in the Westminster Parliament.
(3) ‘Walk the Path to 2014’ is the Ramblers Scotland plan to substantially increase the numbers of people walking in Scotland and use the stimulus of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to help increase physical activity levels across the Scottish population as a whole. The plan proposes extensive promotion of walking, involving support and expansion of existing work to promote walking, as well as work on new programmes. It also examines the need to develop much better path networks in and around Scottish communities, both for walking and other non motorised activities such as cycling. The proposals target the inactive majority of the Scottish population, including communities suffering from serious social and physical deprivation, as well as young people. ‘Walk the Path to 2014’ can be accessed at www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland/.
(4) As part of ‘Walk Homecoming 2009’ Ramblers Scotland would like to see ‘medal’ walking routes, to suit all levels of fitness, identified as bronze, silver and gold routes, in all parts of Scotland. On average, the walking times for these routes should be 15 minutes for bronze, 30 for silver and 1 hour for gold routes. Routes should start from walking ‘hubs’ such as post offices and community centres, schools and hospitals, hotels and hostels, cafes and shops, farms and distilleries, bus and railway stations. Every city, town and village can establish any number of walking hubs, all with bronze, silver and gold routes for exploring the local heritage, and almost 100 hubs have already been identified across Scotland. In conjunction with Local Authorities, maps and route descriptions of bronze, silver and gold walks will be produced for each walking hub. These will include information about other walking and physical activity opportunities available close to individual walking hubs.
(5) For information on the rebranding of the Ramblers see:
www.ramblers.org.uk/brand and
http://www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland/press/lastest/
Ramblers+Walk+Towards+Brand+New+Image.htm.
Ramblers Scotland has over 7,800 members and 58 local groups throughout the country. Our aims are to promote walking for health and pleasure, to develop path networks, to secure access for walkers and to protect the environment. www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland
Ramblers Scotland
Kingfisher House
Auld Mart Business Park
Milnathort, Kinross
KY13 9DA
Tel: 01577 861222 Fax: 01577 861333
E mail: scotland@ramblers.org.uk
