Walking Basketball

“It’s nice to come away from a session feeling positive”

By Felix Elsen (Community Physical Activity Organiser)

What began as a quiet online conversation in late 2024 has grown into weekly Walking Basketball sessions in central Exeter.

At the same time as the Community Physical Activity Organiser (CPAO) was helping to establish a new Walking Football group, several Exeter residents began sharing another idea - Walking Basketball. While the interest was there, the new Walking Football project needed time and focus to get off the ground, and basketball was temporarily put on pause. The CPAO stayed in contact with the residents, keeping the spark alive while the groundwork was laid elsewhere.

Once the time was right, the CPAO picked the idea back up and began by visiting an established Walking Basketball group in nearby Teignmouth. Seeing the sessions in action and learning how they were structured helped shape a clearer vision for how something similar could work in Exeter.

From there, attention turned to looking at suitable venues and reaching out to local basketball clubs and coaches. This was a crucial point as a relationship with the Exeter Spartans Basketball Club was established, which would prove pivotal in bringing Walking Basketball to Exeter.

A collaborative effort between the club’s chairman and the CPAO enabled the emerging group to gain access to a top-spec basketball venue and equipment, while benefiting from the Spartan’s existing club structure. A first trial session was held in October 2025. Six people were part of this exploratory session, and it was an immediate success, providing valuable insight and confidence to move forward.

After finalising plans, the city’s first ever regular Walking Basketball session was officially launched in November 2025. Following promotion through social media and posters across the city, a steady stream of new players began joining over the coming months. The group remained small but encouragingly consistent, with a welcoming atmosphere that helped new faces feel at ease from the moment they arrived.

As the sessions developed, two members completed a Live & Move funded basketball coaching course to gain the skills to help facilitate sessions. Over time, the group has become increasingly self-sufficient, with three facilitators now helping to run sessions. Members haven taken ownership of their group, greeting newcomers, shaping activities together, and ensuring sessions remain inclusive, social and fun.

Today, this fledgling group continues to grow with the ongoing support from the Exeter Spartans, whose involvement has been key in offering weekly low-cost sessions. Players range from those who once played competitive basketball but now find the traditional game too demanding, to people completely new to the sport. What unites them is the inclusive, friendly nature of the sessions.

One of the group’s more experienced players shared that they’d been hoping “to be involved in some casual/inclusive basketball”, having “stopped playing competitively” as their “body won’t do the things it used to do”. They now feel they can continue participating in their favourite sport without feeling defeated or disheartened.

Looking ahead, the group’s aim this year is to welcome even more players and to organise a friendly game with the Teignmouth Walking Basketball group, the same group that helped inspire the journey early on.

From a long-standing idea to a thriving community session, Walking Basketball in Exeter is an inspiring example of what can happen when local people, patience, and strong community partnerships come together.