Health walks in Caithness to benefit from funding boost
Health walks in Wick, Thurso and Dunbeath are to benefit from a funding boost which will also see other similar groups being set up in the county.
Think Nature Health Walks – a Highland project which aims to promote health and wellbeing through walking, managed by the Highland Third Sector Interface – has received grants from walking charity Paths for All’s Walking for Health Fund and also its Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund.
Alongside funding from the Highland Green Health Partnership (HGHP), the grants will support 10 existing weekly walking groups and establish new ones.
The funding will be used to employ a full-time health walk coordinator to manage volunteer-led health walks in Thurso and Wick along with those in Ballachulish, Caol, Dunvegan, Lochalsh and South Skye, Portree, Spean Bridge and Tongue, and create new groups in Caithness, Sutherland, Skye, Lochalsh, Wester Ross and Lochaber. It will also provide training for the existing independent groups in Brora and Dunbeath.
The walking project fits with the HGHP’s aims to develop green health referrals with GPs to prescribe walking as a health intervention, working in partnership with local organisations.
Ailsa Villegas, senior health development officer with HGHP, said: “The key aim of the partnership is to encourage daily contact with nature for improved health and wellbeing, and walking is one of the easiest ways of achieving this.
“Time outdoors can improve our physical and mental health and walking as part of a group creates social connections that tackle loneliness – something that has a significant impact on the wellbeing of people living in remote and rural areas.
“Health walks are a short, safe, fun and accessible activity led by trained volunteers on a weekly basis. They normally last between 30 minutes and an hour and are tailored to the needs of participants.
"The walks will be designed to encourage daily journeys, building the strength and confidence of participants to leave the car behind and walk independently to the shops, pharmacy, GP practice or leisure centre in their locality.”
The advert for the coordinator post is now live at https://www.highlandtsi.org.uk/vacancies and the deadline for applications is Friday, February 28.