Walk At One

By Ed Shaw (Community Physical Activity Organiser)

Patsy enjoys a lunchtime walk around Heavitree Pleasure Ground to break up her day when working from home. In the spring of 2024, she started to wonder if anyone else would like to join her to make her walks more sociable. So, she began asking the people she met on her walks and when out and about.

Undeterred by the friendly but non-committal responses she received, Patsy persevered until someone said to her: “You should meet Ed, he helps people in this area to be active” and so we were put in touch with each other. 

At our first meeting, Patsy explained her idea for a Walk at One for anyone who was free at that time of day, once or twice a week, to do a couple of laps of the park. She also told me that she didn’t want to be the organiser and that she “didn’t do Facebook”. We agreed that the simplicity of the idea could be its strength but puzzled over the best way to promote the walks. 

We decided that Patsy would continue to walk and encourage those she met to walk with her but that I would join her for a couple of walks and promote them as a way for people to discover the fledgling group. I created an event on Facebook and made posters that we each put up around the community, and then it was time to walk. 

At the first taster we had three walkers join us and at the second a couple more new people came along. While we enjoyed sunshine for our circuits on both occasions, Patsy and I admitted afterwards that we were a little disappointed that more people hadn’t connected with the idea. 

However, on checking in with Patsy a few weeks later she gave me the good news that all those who’d joined us at the tasters had returned to walk again. One of the walkers had also invited a friend to join them and a WhatsApp group had been set up, helping numbers to slowly grow. 

The WhatsApp has also been a space where members have shared their other interests including music and theatre. Meaning the walks have become not just an encouragement to be more active but a great way to get to know local people from varying backgrounds and stages of life too. 

The group have now decided to make Monday and Thursday their regular days and Patsy is normally accompanied by 3 or 4 people for the Walk at One.