“Not all who wander are lost”.
We were asked by our Employee Engagement Officer if there was something we could do as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. We staged two short lunchtime social walks and as a result of this we were requested to provide more.
We put together the Nothing Works Like Walking Programme, which was a series of lunchtime circular walks, around two-miles long and lasting about 45 minutes. Walks began in early June and were staged alternately from our buildings at the Arc and at the Riverside Depot and they were planned and led by qualified Walk Leaders.
These walks concluded in early October after 10 walks involving 11 different walkers who between them walked 131 miles.
Being Sports Development we were keen to find ways to maintain and develop the employee’s new found enthusiasm for walking and we created two walking challenges. Mainly aimed at those new to walking, we looked to maintain and then increase the distances being walked.
In July we introduced a 50 4 50 Team Challenge Walk and combined it with the District Council’s 50th Birthday celebrations. Teams of four employees were challenged to walk 12.5 miles each (or 3.125 miles per week) along a virtual 50 mile route around the district taking in our current and former office sites and attractions such as Bolsover Castle and Creswell Crags, all linked by the district’s trails.
Teams, who had given themselves names, Red Hot Chili Steppers and Scrambled Legs to name but two, had four weeks to complete the route and each week their whereabouts on the route was plotted and circulated. Distances were recorded digitally or on hard copy record sheets and totalled each week. Some provided excellent photographs which were taken whilst rambling about the countryside, which provided some excellent views of the area, points of interest and wildlife.
Eleven teams took part and completed the 50 miles by the end of July, allowing them to be placed in the hat for a walking related prize draw. There was 44 walkers each week wandering into the countryside and walking over and above their usual walk distances, some were absolute beginners encouraged by the team ethos and others were regular walkers inspired to walk further.
Hot on the heels of the Team Challenge we introduced the 50 4 50 Individual Challenge Walk which began on 5 August, increasing the distances walked during the Team Challenge from 3.125 miles per week to 5 miles per week, the aim being to complete the 50 mile route in ten weeks.
The challenge ended on 13 October with 32 walkers having entered, 17 completing the 50 miles required as a minimum, some continuing to walk after completing their 50.
One individual completed over 227 miles, another 203 and four walked over 100 miles. In total 1,949.25 miles were walked, nearly 195 miles per week.
