Towy valley walking the way to health

 

Staff at Llandovery Forest District have a long history of providing attractive woodland walks for the local community. The recent awareness of how walking can make significant improvements to ones health, was all the excuse we needed to take a fresh look at our walks, to see how these could make a contribution to improving health in the local population.

With minimal expenditure and a lot of hard work by forestry staff in the district and volunteers, we were able to identify 7 walks suitable for marketing as health walks. With close support and promotion by our friends in the local surgery (in particular Dr Mark Boulter) and with the assistance of our health visitor Viv Kersey, we were able to launch the 'Towy Valley Walking the way to health' scheme in September 2002.

Since the schemes inception, our local volunteers and FC staff have run fortnightly led walks with occasional green gym activities.

In December 2003 The Countryside Agency awarded us their highest award, the '3 Heart Award' by in recognition of our schemes comprehensive provision of health support activities.

John Williams, Scheme Initiator john.williams@forestry.gsi.gov.uk