Manchester Health Walks Newsletter

Transcription

1 Manchester Health Walks Newsletter Issue 6 July Sept 2011 Welcome! to the Manchester Health Walks Newsletter 6th Issue. This newsletter is put together by the Physical Activity Referral Service (PARS) hopes to keep you up dated with all the health walks that are running in and around Manchester and any other walking events coming up. PARS Health Walks The Physical Activity Referral Service has a number of walking opportunities across Manchester to help individuals become more active more often. Walk Grades To help you decide which walks are most appropriate for you we have graded the difficulty and pace of each walk. If a walk has more than one grade it means there is an option to do each of those grades. Gentle strolling pace on flat, even ground with plenty of opportunities to rest: mins. Medium steady pace, even ground and well marked paths with potentially some hill /steps and opportunities to rest. Brisk brisk pace with potentially hills/steps and walking at least 1 hour or more MONDAYS TIME GRADE Zion Methodist Church (Blackley) Moss Side Leisure Centre FRIDAY TIME GRADE Velodrome Indoor Walk 11:00am Withington Methodist Church (Heart Help Group) 10:30am 11:00am Levenshulme Library 12:30 Clayton Vale Velodrome Indoor Walk 1:00pm TUESDAYS TIME GRADE Clayton Methodist Church 10:00am Debdale Park Wythenshawe Park Nordic Walking 1.00 Wythenshawe Park 10:30am 1:00pm WEDNESDAYS TIME GRADE Clayton Vale 10:00am Moston Marchers Broadhurst Park Sure Start Velodrome Indoor Walk THURSDAYS TIME GRADE Sport City Nordic Walking Heaton Park Smithy Lodge Entrance 9:30am

2 Star Volunteer Walk Leader! Since joining a Health Walk 15 months ago Michael Green has seen vast improvements in his health. Keen to lose weight, Michael thought he would give walking a try after seeing a leaflet advertising a local Health Walk at Blackley Forest Nature Reserve Health Walks. He then found out about the Moston Marchers Health Walks from Broadhurst Sure Start Centre and the Boggort Hole Clough Strollers and still attends (and leads!) these walks. Before I started walking I weighed 23 stone. I would be out of breath when I was walking up hills. Since joining my local Walking for Health scheme I have lost several stone and find walking much easier. My family and friends say I look better for losing the weight people think I look much younger now! Since losing weight, Michael has noticed a difference in other areas of his health: I used to have a bad back, but now it doesn t hurt as much. I was taking a couple of painkillers each day, whereas now I rarely need to take painkillers at all. Michael is quick to highlight the importance of the social aspect of the health walks and believes that this is one of the main reasons he has stuck at the health walks. At the moment he attends either two or three health walks each week with various schemes and trained to be a Walk Leader earlier this year a role he is thoroughly enjoying: I enjoy finding new routes and exploring different areas to see if they re suitable for a health walk. It s rewarding when I find a new walk for the group to enjoy. Carolyn Chafer from Blackley Forest, is thrilled to have witnessed Michael s progress and adds: I have certainly seen huge changes in Michael since he started walking with us. I know he has lost a lot of weight but there have been other noticeable changes too. Michael was very quiet when he first joined our group and his confidence has grown tremendously, especially since he completed his walk leader training. In addition to all of the walking, Michael has also involved himself in other things such as becoming an active Community Guardian, teaching himself how to use a computer and attending our group's meetings - things I don't think he would have done without the added confidence gained from being involved with the walking schemes.

3 Other walking opportunities in & around Manchester Salford City Council Monday Irlam Moss 10.00am to 11.00am (one hour) Meet: 9.45am at various places across Irlam and Cadishead Contact: Jo Bennett on Boothstown Community Centre Time: 2.00pm to 3.00pm (one hour) Meet: 1.45pm at Boothstown Community Centre, Stanfield Drive, Boothstown Walk leaders: Shiela, Edna Tuesday Monton Green, Monton Meet: 9.45am outside the Monton Unitarian Church, Monton Green Buile Hill Park Time: 10.00am to 10.45am (45 minutes) Meet: 9.45am at the front gates of compound, near the Lancashire Mining Museum Other information: refreshments available, buggy friendly, families welcome, health stroll Princess Park Garden Centre, Irlam, monthly, first Tuesday in the month Meet: 9.45am at the garden centre entrance, Irlam Wednesday Worsley Woods buggy walk Time: 11.00am to 12.30pm (one and half hours, including activities) Meet: 10.45am at Beasley Green Community Centre, Greenleach Lane Blackley Forest Walks Blackley Forest Nature Reserve invites you to take a walk on the wild side in Blackley Forest. Meet at the Victoria Avenue entrance 2pm on the second Monday of each month. The walks last approx 1 hour an hour & a quarter. They finish at the Glenbrook Chapel Hall on Glenbrook Rd for tea & biscuits. It is quite a leisurely walk through the woods. They go at everyone s own pace and admire the sights & sounds of the woodland. The next few months are as follows (Future dates will be the 2 nd Monday in each month): Thursday Blackleach Country Park Meet: 9.45am at the Visitors Centre, off Bolton Road, off Hilltop Road, Walkden Clifton Country Park Time: 10.15am to 11.15am (one hour) Meet: 10.00am at the Visitors Centre, Clifton House Road, off Manchester Road Friday Worsley Woods Meet: 9.45am outside the Worsley Court House Clifton Country Park buggy walk Time: 10.00am to 11.30am (one and half hours, including activities) Meet: 10.00am at the Visitors Centre, Clifton House Road, off Manchester Road Victoria Park Time: 11.00am to 12.00pm (one hour) Meet: 10.45am at the Games hut, Victoria Park, Swinton Sunday Monton Green Time: 10.00am to 11.00pm (one hour) Meet: 9.45am at the Unitarian Church, Monton Green For more information contact Jo Bennett (Active Lifestyles Development Officer) on or jo.bennett@scll.co.uk 11 th July 8 th 12 th September 10 th October 14 th November 12 th December

4 Tameside Sports Services Health Walks Led by experiences walkers, the following walks are less than 3 miles long, and will be taken at a pace suitable for everyone. There is no need to book, just turn up and enjoy! Hyde Monday 10:30am Meet at Grafton House, Grafton Street Stalybridge Monday 1:00pm Meet at Copley Leisure Centre Mossley Wednesday Meet in Roaches Lock Car Park Ashton Wednesday 11:00am Contact George on Droylsden Saturday 11:00am Meet at Medlock Leisure Centre New Walks! Stalybridge Monday 11:30am - Starting 4th July. Meet at Copley Leisure Centre Droylsden Saturday 10:00am Starting 2nd July. Meet at Medlock Leisure Centre For more information contact Tameside Sports Services on or visit Manchester and Salford Ramblers The Manchester and Salford Ramblers have a range of walks exploring the countryside of Greater Manchester and further a field Check out there website for more information at: Walks are held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. All walks start at unless otherwise stated. Walks are normally 5-6 miles, but we have added some longer walks into this years' programme- so please check details carefully! Date Walk Description Meeting place Contact Tuesday 12th July Chorlton Meadows Chorlton Bus Station, Barlow Moor Rd Bus 23, 46, 47, 85, 86, 168 Tuesday, 19th July Debdale Park, Entrance on Hyde Road. Note time: Meet at Gorton, Manchester 6.30PM Bus no. 201, 204, 205 Saturday, 30th July LINEAR walk,to Ducie St/Piccadilly Station Approach. Return Hartshead Pike, by bus or train Mossley from Piccadily Tuesday, 9th Chat Moss, Bus 67 from Shude Hill to Cadishead. Meet at Saturday, 13th Saturday, 27th Tuesday, 13th September Saturday, 24th September Cadishead/Irlam This is a long walk. Froggatt Edge, Grindleford Broadheath, Dunham Park Knowl Hill windmills, Greenbooth Reservoir Nature trails to Runway 2 and Bollin Valley bus terminus, Cadishead Piccadilly Station, note meeting time 9.30 to get 9.45 train to Grindleford Navigation Rd. Metro Station, Altrincham A680 Edenfield Rd beside Ashworth Reservoir, opp. Owd Betts pub, near Norden, Rochdale. Car share available. Phone Mags. At Manchester airport take bus 200 to Manchester Airport aviation viewing platform. Car parking fee payable Les Jones Mags Metcalf, Salle Dare Chris Clark Salle Dare Tony Clough Mags/Maggie via Mags Metcalf

5 Manchester Council Parks Department Health Walks Mondays 1:00pm Platt Fields Park Contact Tuesdays Boggort Hole Clough Strollers Contact Wednesdays Alexandra Park Strollers Contact Sundays 11:00am Heaton Park Contact For more information about where to meet visit or contact individual walks on numbers above. Rochdale Canal Festival 2011 Explore the Rochdale Canal and join a fortnight of fun, free activities, including: guided walks, bike rides, canoeing & angling taster sessions, wildlife safaris, story telling and much more! This year's annual Rochdale Canal Festival will run from the 13th to the 28th. Activities will take place along the length of the canal, from Manchester, through Oldham and Rochdale and up to Calderdale. A programme of festival activities will be available soon. Visit the 'Visit Oldham' website and search Rochdale Canal Festival for details: To find out more or to get involved contact: rochdalecanalfestival2011@gmail.com Want more information? If you would like to take part in any of our health walks and want more information please contact Beth Sutcliffe (health walk development officer) on or Beth.Sutcliffe@mhsc.nhs.uk Useful websites! You can find details of all our walks and information about other walking opportunities in other areas at: For information about walking routes, led walks and other resources: Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) If you have any concerns, compliments or complaints or would like information about the services you are receiving please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on /8 or PALS@mhsc.nhs.uk If you need to have this leaflet translated into another language, larger print, Braille or audio cassette, please contact the Linkworker service on