Issue 20 Summer Rock n Stroll. The newsletter for health walkers in North Somerset

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1 Rock n Stroll The newsletter for health walkers in North Somerset Introduction Welcome to the Summer 2014 edition of Rock n Stroll a newsletter connecting everyone involved in the Walking for Health initiative locally, both walkers and walk leaders alike. Read on for the latest news from around the walks Nailsea walk leader John Wilson met Alan McMurray Chair of North Somerset Council ( ) who joined the group for a walk through Leigh Woods in April. Read on to find out why!

2 A Celebration of Community Sport A lunch held to celebrate local community sports coaches and their organisations raised over 3,600 for local sports activities. A Celebration of Community Sport was held on Sunday 16 March, at DoubleTree Hilton Cadbury House in Congresbury, to present awards to local community sports and leisure leaders and raise money to provide equipment for local sports organisations. Among the award winners was our very own John Western volunteer health walk leader for Weston and local running group leader. John has fulfilled these roles for a number of years and encouraged many people in the local area to get active. The event also featured a video of local sporting events, put together in collaboration with Weston College, which showcased our Nailsea health walk group! The filming just happened to coincide with Nailsea s bumper day of 99 walkers in April. To see the video for yourself visit Cllr Alan McMurray, Chairman of North Somerset Council, who visited lots of local groups as part of his initiative (as pictured on the front page) said: We are blessed in North Somerset with so many fine athletes, but they could not progress in their sport without the dedication of many people who give up their time to support them. All these things don t happen by magic, but by sheer hard work. Our Go4Life and School Sports programmes are enabling a very impressive range of community sport and physical activity and I have been most impressed with the way sport and healthy activities are adapted to suit all ages and abilities, ensuring that all activities are fully inclusive with no restrictions. Some highlights in community sport and physical activity developments in the last year include: 100 trained health walk leaders volunteering in North Somerset, 259 led walks provided and 7,045 visits made 30 sports clubs involved in the Inclusive Sport Project (Sportarray) and offering inclusive sport opportunities for disabled people over 2,500 Street Games visits made by young people, 11 projects provided over 500 sport leaders/coaches/volunteers engaged in delivering local programmes 637 partners signed up to Go4Life, committing to encouraging healthy and active lifestyles 436 individuals referred and supported to get active via the Chequebook Scheme, over 130 local partners referring to the scheme 7,500 copies of an inclusive Active Directory produced and distributed to motivate local people of all ages and abilities to get active 15 Breakthrough Active placements delivered to young people above a healthy weight (BMI in 98th centile or above). For more information on sports and active lifestyles, visit

3 Farewell to Liz Lansley Liz Lansley (pictured at the front) from North Somerset s Public Health team retired this spring. Liz was instrumental in establishing Walking for Health in North Somerset and will be greatly missed. She has sent the following message Dear Health Walk leaders whom I have known, What a shame that the June review afternoon was postponed as this would have been my final opportunity to meet you all, hear what your groups have been up to, etc. I retired at the end of April and have found plenty to do on my door step, including going for walks with friends! My main focus is my elderly mother who lives in Caerleon, near Newport. She has Alzheimer s but is doing really well probably because she was always active, very sociable and has lots of friends who can support her and help her along the way never easy when you get old! Health Walks along with the community exercise programme are the two most useful things that I was involved with during my time in the NHS and latterly the council. I had so much positive feedback from people who really benefited. This was not just from walkers but from the health professionals who could offer something to those patients who really needed something easy and sociable to take part in. They really appreciate what you are doing this was mentioned on some of my leaving cards. In the 1950s Jerry Morris, a Public Health doctor, discovered the link between heart disease and physical activity. He did a study of the comparative heart health of bus drivers compared to bus conductors on the London buses after the war. His research led to the mantra 'physical activity is the best buy in public health'. It is only by getting people doing regular exercise, which includes REGULAR WALKING, that we will see a difference in people's health. So 'carry on walking' everyone! My best wishes to you all. Liz

4 and introducing Eleven new candidates completed their walk leader training on 18 June. They will join the 100 volunteers in North Somerset to strengthen existing walking groups and look at new areas to start groups. We re always looking for fun, friendly and sociable people to help lead our health walks. If you enjoy walking and would like to encourage others to enjoy it too then please get in touch. The Walking for Health initiative is all about supporting more people in the community to take up regular exercise through short walks. If you are interested in being part of it and would like to book a place at our next session in the autumn please call North Somerset Council's Sport and Active Lifestyles Team on or sport@n-somerset.gov.uk A date for our next training session will be circulated in due course to all those registered. Visual impairment awareness and sighted guidance training Wednesday 23 July, pm City Hall, College Green, Bristol This training has been organised by Walk for Health Bristol and is provided free of charge by My Guide a project of the Guide Dogs Association for the Blind. The session is aimed at walkers, walk leaders and those interested in helping people with sight loss to access health walks and get out and about. You do not have to be a trained leader or walk with a health walks group in order to attend. However, we would encourage you to have attended a health walk first before signing up to the training and to have a commitment to helping someone with visual impairments to access walking opportunities. The course aims to give you an understanding of the emotional and practical consequences of being blind or partially sighted and the role of sighted guiding in increasing independence. You will be taught the skills to sighted guide, and will practise with other volunteers. You will need to wear safe, comfortable shoes, and bring warm outdoor clothes including a waterproof coat, as some of this practice may be outdoors. At the end of the course you will receive a Community Sighted Guide certificate. To book on or find out more please contact Nicola Ferris, Bristol Health Walks Development, on or nicola.ferris@bristol.gov.uk

5 Take the bus to your walk! If you re going on a health walk why not take the bus to the meeting point? North Somerset is well-served by bus links and the majority of health walks start and finish near a bus route. You could meet up with fellow walkers at the bus stop or on the bus. By leaving the car at home you will help to ease congestion on the roads and reduce pollution levels. Plus you ll get the benefit of a little extra exercise on the walk to and from the bus stop! Fares are reasonable and if you are a Diamond Travelcard holder you travel free after 9am. Which bus to get to join a health walk Clevedon walks: first Tuesday and third Friday at 10.30am, plus regular Monday evening walks during summer at 6.30pm. All meet at the Band Stand, Elton Road, Clevedon. Buses to Clevedon X5 from WsM/Congresbury/Yatton Portishead X6 from Bristol/Failand/Tickenham X8 from Bristol/Long Ashton/Nailsea 88 from Portishead Where to get off for the walk meeting point Band stand, Elton Road: Elton Road Stop Nailsea walks: every Monday at 11am. Meet alternate months at Grove Sports Centre and Scotch Horn Leisure Centre. Buses to Nailsea A2 from Backwell/Langford/ Congresbury/Yatton X8 from Bristol/Long Ashton/Backwell X9/X10/55 from Bristol/Wraxall X54 from Bristol Where to get off for the walk meeting point Grove Sports Centre: Hannah Moor School Stop (X8/X9/X10/55/X54) Scotch Horn Leisure Centre: Link Road Stop (all services) Portishead walks: most Mondays at 11am. Meet alternately at Lake Grounds, Parish Wharf Leisure Centre and Waverley Court. Buses to Portishead X2 from Pill/Abbots Leigh/Bristol X3 from Abbots Leigh/Bristol 88 from Clevedon Where to get off for the walk meeting point Lake Grounds: Picnic Grounds Stop, Nore Road (X2/X3/88) Parish Wharf: Waitrose Stop, Harbour Road (X3) Waverley Court: Village Square Stop, Phoenix Way (X3)

6 Weston-super-Mare walks: every Monday at 2pm. A different meeting point every week 30 different routes in and around Weston. Weston bus services 3 to/from Searle Crescent (Asda)/ Bournville/Mead Vale/Worle 4 to/from Hutton/Weston General Hospital/Grove Park/South Road 5/105 to/from Worle Terminus (Sainsbury s)/north Worle/Uphill/ Weston General Hospital 7 to/from Worle Terminus (Sainsbury s)/ Worle/Milton/Severn Road/Coronation /Oldmixon 14 to/from Worle Terminus (Sainsbury s)/locking Castle/Earlham Grove 16 to/from West Wick/Locking Castle/Flowerdown Retail Park/Searle Crescent (Asda) 21/75 to/from Bridgwater/Burnham-on-Sea 83 to/from Bleadon/Bleadon Hill/Weston General Hospital/ Worlebury 100 to/from Sand Bay/Kewstoke 121 to/from Bristol/Wrington/ Winscombe/Banwell/ Locking 126/26 to/from Wells/Cheddar/ Winscombe/Banwell/Locking L1 to/from Locking Parklands X1/W1 to/from Bristol/Backwell/ Congresbury/ X5 to/from Portishead/Clevedon/Yatton /Congresbury Where to get off for the walk meeting point Tell the driver where your walk starts and ask him/her to recommend where to get off and which stop to use for your return journey Winscombe walks: second and fourth Tuesday at 11am. Meet at the Woodborough Inn, Sandford Road. Buses to Winscombe 121 from WsM/Locking/Banwell/ Winscombe/Wrington/Bristol 126/26 from WsM/Locking/Banwell/ Winscombe/Cheddar/Wells Where to get off for the walk meeting point Woodborough Inn: Browns Corner Stop (opposite Woodborough Inn) Yatton walks: first and third Thursday at 2pm. A different meeting point every week. Buses to Yatton A2 from Nailsea/Backwell/ Langford/Congresbury X5 from WsM/Congresbury/Clevedon/ Portishead Where to get off for the walk meeting point Tell the driver where your walk starts and ask him/her to recommend where to get off and which stop to use for your return journey Full bus service information, timetables and a journey planner are available on A bus checker app is also available on the site which you can download for free to your smartphone. The app tells you when buses are due to arrive and lets you browse routes so you can catch the bus that gets you where you need to be. Just select a stop near you and choose a service to see where it goes.

7 Health Walk Leaders Take On Mendip Challenge On Sunday 1 June the Carlton Ramblers took part in the Mendip Challenge. Ten walkers including individuals who are health walk leaders walked the various distances from 10 to 30 miles. It is estimated they have raised approximately 2,000 for Weston Hospice Care. Carlton Ramblers meet Tuesdays at 10am at the Carlton Centre in Weston, using public transport to access scenic walks across North Somerset. Although the group walks outside the scope and distance of a health walk, it offers a vital stepping stone in keeping the interest of walkers who have outgrown health walks in keeping active. The group has a particular focus in supporting adults with a mental health condition or those recovering from substance misuse who are not currently working. The group is very keen to encourage others to join in (average distance is 6-7 miles), so if you want to find out more please call Martin at The Carlton Centre on or the Sport & Active Lifestyles team on Update on risk assessment procedure We wish to remind and/or update every health walk leader about the procedure for carrying out risk assessments for all health walks. In our last risk assessment review we looked at how we could make the procedure simpler and working alongside the Health & Safety team within the council we produced a risk assessment document. Alongside this form, we asked each group to provide a general description of the health walks they managed (terrain, time, distance, gradients meeting place, etc). To accompany these two documents we would like the groups to risk assess each individual walk using a template that lists probable hazards that can occur on a typical health walk. The assessor only needs to tick those hazards that are applicable on any one walk, adding any additional ones they spot. I hope this does not sound confusing or too onerous; we advise that one or two leaders take responsibility of the task so that it can be managed efficiently. All paperwork regarding this procedure can be distributed to the groups upon request. If you wish to discuss this procedure further please call Kira Thorpe on

8 Sunday afternoon Ranger walks What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than enjoying some beautiful scenery and learning about local history at the same time? A series of monthly guided walks organised by North Somerset Council's Ranger Service gives you the perfect opportunity to do just that. The first walk of this summer took place on 25 May, exploring the distinctive terrain of Crook Peak. This famous and conspicuous landmark features a limestone peak rising to over 600 feet above sea level and providing exhilarating views across land and sea. Forthcoming walk dates are as follows: Sunday 27 July Mining at Winford Sunday 31 August Ashcombe Park, Weston-super-Mare Sunday 28 September Old Banwell Sunday 26 October Weston s part in the suffragette movement The walks set off at 2pm and last around two-and-a-half hours. They may include some steep gradients and rough ground. There is a charge of 3.80 per person and no dogs are allowed. There is no need to book just turn up on the day. For more details about the walks please contact the Seafront and Events Rangers on , seafront.rangers@n-somerset.gov.uk or visit the webpage at Sportarray initiative gathers pace Our inclusive sport initiative Sportarray continues to support local clubs and sports to develop opportunities for disabled people. We have recently put together a list of inclusive sports clubs in North Somerset that we are supporting. You can access the list, as well as our latest newsletter, on our webpage at We are also running a practical training session on Wednesday 16 July aimed at anyone who supports a disabled person to play sport this may include support workers, teachers, volunteers, carers or sports coaches. If you or someone you know might be interested in finding out more about our training workshop or the Sportarray initiative more generally, please contact the Sport and Active Lifestyles team on or sportarray@n-somerset.gov.uk

9 Long Ashton boasts first health walk A new health walk is starting in Long Ashton from Tuesday 22 July at 1.30pm. Meet at Long Ashton library every fourth Tuesday of the month. We are particularly keen to encourage those individuals who are not currently exercising or are unable to do anything too physically challenging. The duration of the walks will be under an hour. Long Ashton is an area of North Somerset that has not had a regular health walk group before, so please come along and give it a go to support this new walking group! For more information call Sport & Active Lifestyles on Walk leader get-together this autumn We have pushed back our walk leader review day to the autumn to ensure that as many volunteers as possible can attend. Please save the date of Wednesday 1 October 2014, 1 4pm. We ll send out more details in due course. Walking Football new groups If you think you re too old or unfit to play football then think again! Open to men and women of any age, walking football is an ideal choice for those looking for a lower impact activity or those who would like to try a slower aspect of the beautiful game. Don t worry if you ve never played before. It s a great way to keep fit, learn new skills, have fun and socialise all at the same time. Remember no running, jogging or sliding just walking! Sessions will be run by an FA Level 2 licensed coach and will take place on the superb, all-weather 3G pitch at the Hand Stadium, Clevedon. Join in every Thursday morning, starting on 3 July, am, costing 2. For more details please call the club on or Alternatively, just turn up to a session wearing trainers or Astros. A Walking Football session aimed at disabled adults has started in Weston, taking place at Weston Football Club every Tuesday, 10 11am, costing 2. To find out more call Geoff Stevens on

10 Blog on Go4Life North Somerset s brand for promoting healthy and active lifestyles has launched its own blog. It s the place to go for local news and views on health and exercise, aimed at local partners in physical activity provision. To see for yourself and to register for free updates visit Walking for Health team here to help The health walks in North Somerset are coordinated by North Somerset Council. We re here to: train walk leaders publicise health walks provide volunteer support create new groups promote GP referrals gather data to show health benefits share good practice connect to national centre If you are a health walker or walk leader who requires any support or would like to find out more please do not hesitate to contact us on Benefited from health walks? we d love to hear your story! We re really keen to hear from walkers who have recovered from a physical or mental health issue while taking part in health walks. We d like to find out about your experiences and how the walks may have contributed to your recovery through regular exercise and meeting new people. Please contact us via the following methods Visit: Write: Castlewood, Tickenham Road, Clevedon, BS21 6BD Sport and Active Lifestyles team, North Somerset Council, Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1UJ Telephone: Log on: sport@n-somerset.gov.uk Check out the national Walking for Health website at

11 Health Walks: July September 2014 Date Meeting Place Time Group 1 Jul Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 10.30am Clevedon 3 Jul Yatton library 2pm Yatton 7 Jul Grove Sports Centre, St Mary's Grove 11am Nailsea 7 Jul Uphill Way car park 2pm Weston 8 Jul Woodborough Inn, Sandford Road 11am Winscombe 14 Jul Parish Wharf Leisure Centre, Harbour Road 11am Portishead 14 Jul Grove Sports Centre, St Mary's Grove 11am Nailsea 14 Jul Tyntesfield (NT members to bring cards) 2pm Weston 17 Jul Tyntesfield, main car park 2pm Yatton 18 Jul Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 10.30am Clevedon 21 Jul Grove Sports Centre, St Mary's Grove 11am Nailsea 21 Jul Bristol Waterside (meet City of Bristol College) 10.30am Portishead 21 Jul Prince Consort Gardens 2pm Weston 21 Jul Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 6.30pm Clevedon 22 Jul Woodborough Inn, Sandford Road 11am Winscombe 28 Jul Abbots Pool, Bristol 11am Nailsea 28 Jul Parish Wharf Leisure Centre, Harbour Road 11am Portishead 28 Jul Matalan (paved area by Costa) 2pm Weston 31 Jul Wavering Down, Kings Wood car park off A38 2pm Yatton 4 Aug Scotch Horn Leisure Centre, Brockway 11am Nailsea 4 Aug Winscombe, Woodborough Inn 2pm Weston 5 Aug Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 10.30am Clevedon 7 Aug Cleeve, Millier Road opp. the Lord Nelson pub 2pm Yatton 11 Aug Waverley Court 11am Portishead 11 Aug Scotch Horn Leisure Centre, Brockway 11am Nailsea 11 Aug Kingston Seymour 2pm Weston 11 Aug Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 6.30pm Clevedon 12 Aug Woodborough Inn, Sandford Road 11am Winscombe 15 Aug Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 10.30am Clevedon 18 Aug Chew Valley 11am Nailsea 18 Aug Tyntesfield 10.30am Portishead 18 Aug Banwell, West Street car park 2pm Weston 21 Aug Ashton Court, Mansion House car park 2pm Yatton 25 Aug Waverley Court 11am Portishead 25 Aug Scotch Horn Leisure Centre, Brockway 11am Nailsea 26 Aug Woodborough Inn, Sandford Road 11am Winscombe

12 1 Sep Grove Sports Centre, St Mary's Grove 11am Nailsea 1 Sep Locking, Coach House 2pm Weston 1 Sep Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 6.30pm Clevedon 2 Sep Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 10.30am Clevedon 4 Sep Congresbury, Millennium Green car park 2pm Yatton 8 Sep Grove Sports Centre, St Mary's Grove 11am Nailsea 8 Sep Lake Grounds 11am Portishead 8 Sep Argos (Worle) 2pm Weston 9 Sep Woodborough Inn, Sandford Road 11am Winscombe 15 Sep Grove Sports Centre, St Mary's Grove 11am Nailsea 15 Sep Clevedon contact walk leader for more info am Portishead 15 Sep Abbots Leigh woods 2pm Weston 18 Sep Cadbury Hill, cricket car park, Henley Lane 2pm Yatton 19 Sep Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 10.30am Clevedon 22 Sep The Café, Lake Grounds 11am Portishead 22 Sep Grove Sports Centre, St Mary's Grove 11am Nailsea 22 Sep Clarence Park Café 2pm Weston 22 Sep Bandstand, Seafront, Elton Road 6.30pm Clevedon 23 Sep Woodborough Inn, Sandford Road 11am Winscombe 29 Sep Ashton Court 11am Nailsea 29 Sep Congresbury, Ship and Castle pub 2pm Weston Group contacts To find out more about our local Walking for Health groups including more specific details of meeting points for the above walks please call the relevant group s main contact, as follows Clevedon Gay Maxwell Nailsea Marion Lindsey Portishead Anne Brain Weston John Western Winscombe Tim Burrows Yatton Marion Davies Carlton Centre, WsM Martin Pickford Friend Centre, WsM Caroline Wilson Healthy Living Centre, WsM Robin Woodward