Walking Post podcast 47: Walking For All

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Hello, I'm Jim Cornall and this is the WalkingPost
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.com podcast. WalkingPost .com is the news website
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dedicated to walking, with all the latest on
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books, gear, health, festivals, events, trails,
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fitness and more. This podcast is number 47 and
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it's going out live on April the 3rd. Hopefully
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you survived April Fool's Day. When it wasn't
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overdone, it was quite clever sometimes. Now
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you can spot them a mile off. Maybe that's the
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point. People and businesses are so concerned
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that they're going to be taken literally that
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they make it so absurd that no one would believe
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it. Which kind of misses the point. Today is
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the first day of the school Easter break, or
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at least it is in our part of the world, and
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a quick check of the weather app confirms it.
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Two weeks of rain. But at least the days are
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getting longer, which is nice to see. Let's get
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to April the 3rd. It is World Party Day, and
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that's not the band, although there are plenty
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of places probably not feeling like a party right
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about now. It is Walk to Work Day, so for me
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that means 13 stairs and a kitchen detour. It's
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Chocolate Moose Day, Find a Rainbow Day, and
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Film Score Day. Feel free to send me your favourite
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film scores. I don't mean literally. Just tell
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me what they are. My favourite in that genre
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is definitely Peter Gabriel's Passion. It's Good
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Friday as well, or at least it is this year.
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And it's Will It Ever Stop Raining in Scotland
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Day. which I just made up. It's the day in 1888
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when Jack the Ripper committed his first murder,
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or at least the first that we know of. And it's
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the day the first mobile phone call was made,
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back in 1973. And I bet it was to complain about
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the phone company trying to get him to upgrade.
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Speaking of upgrades, it's the day the first
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iPad came out in 2010. And for birthdays, Marlon
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Brando, Doris Day and Jane Goodall. For this
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week's interview, we're popping across the Irish
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Sea to Northern Ireland for an interview about
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the Walking For All project with Gareth Moore,
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Head of Participation at Outscape, and Gráinne
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O 'Brien, Walking For All Officer for Louth.
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Before we do get going into that interview, if
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you do have news, guest ideas or even subjects
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to cover or comments, or if you want to advertise,
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please do get in touch via walkingpost .com or
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just email me at jim at walkingpost .com. Okay,
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let's get through some of the headlines of the
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news articles you may have missed that we had
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on walkingpost .com this past week. Rab has launched
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the Cyclone XP40 and Aerox backpacks. South Carolina
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opened its first river park network and Agoda
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published its top picks for slow travel destinations
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in Asia. If you've ever been to Asia and got
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caught up in the traffic in some of their biggest
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cities, that is the very definition of slow travel.
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There's been a greater than 10 % rise in visitors
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to U .S. national parks. a new leaflet has been
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created to promote car free days across harwich
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harbour and the pine creek rail trail has been
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named pennsylvania's twenty twenty six trail
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of the year Hong Kong's Country Park Hiking and
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Planting Day 2026 is going to be held later this
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month. United by Nature is looking to unite Americans
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around the great outdoors. And you can read all
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of these and many more at walkingpost .com. And
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so this week the interview relates to a programme
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in Northern Ireland and the border counties in
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the Republic of Ireland. And it's called Walking
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for All. It's being partly funded by the EU and
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it is being led by Outscape. Walking for All
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is meant to help people of all ages and abilities
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to enjoy short, regular walks in local spaces,
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as well as to increase physical activity, improve
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mental well -being, reduce isolation and deepen
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people's connection with their local natural
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environment. So to tell us about it, our Gareth
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Moore, Head of Participation at Outscape, and
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Grainne O 'Brien, Walking for All Officer for
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Louth. Maybe we could start by finding out what
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Walking for All is. Walking for All is essentially,
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Jim, the product of over a decade's worth of
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collaborative work between various bodies in
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Northern Ireland primarily. So that would be
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the Public Health Agency here in Northern Ireland.
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but also the local health trusts our health system
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is split up into a number of different trusts
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that cover the province other stakeholders the
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local councils here in northern ireland organizations
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like sport ireland and sport northern ireland
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so that would be south and north of the border
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and there was a working group established about
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a decade ago more or less Looking at walking
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provision, inspired in many ways by an organisation
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that's quite local to where you are by the sounds
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of it. So we were inspired by an organisation
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called Pass for All, who are now called Walking
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Scotland. And over the last sort of, again, decade
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or so, they've been establishing a really strong
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and comprehensive network of walks across Scotland.
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And over the course of the time that they've
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been operating that program they've managed to
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really shift the dial in terms of participation
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in scotland i think the kind of population -wide
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increase in walking is something about it's about
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a 10 percentile of the entire population has
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been engaged to get out and get active and and
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build walking into their weekly routine so the
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pha ourselves outskip not to forget our involvement
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and then those other partners work to examine
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what would be the most effective way to mirror
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that work or you know take that great example
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of walking scotland and apply it to the irish
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context so walking for all is essentially the
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program that has been devised as the outcome
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of that sort of decade -long period of work for
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me and county loud just said to the border i
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am the officer for county loud so I have been
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working with, at the minute, with community groups
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and helping them set up walking groups and training
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walk leaders. So there's also officers across
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all the six border counties. So there's one in
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Monaghan, Cavan, Leacham, Donegal and Sligo,
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as well then as the council areas in the north.
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But yeah, we're all doing the same. We're all
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at the minute really working with them, grassroots
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groups, and trying to get their walk set up in
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the community and local spaces and training them
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walk leaders. there's another great organization
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that we really are inspired by they're associated
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with sport Ireland and mountaineering Ireland
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and they're called get Ireland walking so that's
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an again another example of a really good strong
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existing walking program that we've taken our
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inspiration from and although we've stretched
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out across the border it's not to really compete
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with get Ireland walking but there are certain
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distinctions there are certain ways of working
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operational details if you like that we're bringing
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to the table that just vary from the model that
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for example even walking Scotland or indeed get
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Ireland walking deploy with regards to this program
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we're taking a very supportive approach to the
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development of walks that's why for example as
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part of our program we've employed 16 walking
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for all officers working with what is probably
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quite a small geographic area compared to you
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know your experience in canada or the us or even
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scotland you know geographically we've got quite
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a small program area here and yet we've got 16
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walking for all officers supporting volunteer
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mainly volunteer walk leaders to establish walks
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build those walks out and get the participants
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involved yeah so we're very much a cross -border
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program and the other thing to mention is that
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our funding comes from the special eu programs
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body so that's peace plus funding as we call
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it so it's essentially legacy funding or funding
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that comes from the legacy of the troubles here
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in northern ireland and so there's a cross community
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connection element to what we're doing so not
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only are we seeking to establish walking groups
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all across the program area so that's Northern
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Ireland and no six border counties and the goal
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is to establish 600 new walking groups across
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that program area within three years but it's
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also to bring communities together so the traditional
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divides here in Northern Ireland being that dividing
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line coming down typically between the Protestant
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and Catholic communities part of our remit and
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within the kind of strategic approach that we're
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taking is to bring walking groups from those
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communities and indeed from other communities.
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So in Ireland now we've got a lot of new communities,
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especially where Gráinne works down in Lowth
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and in the border areas. We've got a lot of new
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communities formed there. So again, we've got
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a significant amount of funding not only to establish
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walking groups and get people engaged in walking,
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but also to bring distinct communities together
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in what we call a twinning. so we'll be organizing
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joined up walking activities maybe activities
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outside of walking maybe doing some fun days
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some barbecues over the summer but bringing those
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distinct communities together and that kind of
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really is an underpinning principle of walking
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for all it's about using walking to facilitate
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connection between individuals within communities
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and then between communities themselves. That
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really is the underpinning principle of the programme.
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Could you tell me a bit about the latest project
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that comes under the Peace Plus umbrella? There's
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lots of projects that are currently being funded
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here all over the island of Ireland, but particularly
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in Northern Ireland and the border areas, again,
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about trying to connect up, if you like, communities
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who were traditionally divided, living distinct
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from each other. and the seupb and peace plus
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are funding i think certainly hundreds of projects
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as part of this latest round of peace plus funding
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they sort of range from big infrastructure big
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capital projects for example i know that one
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of the projects that's funded is to improve the
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railway line between dublin and belfast very
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practical economic led projects all the way down
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to grassroots community groups so peace plus
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funding they have a particular subset of the
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funding approach which is called the change makers
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fund which are just small grants relatively small
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in the grand scheme of things but grants up to
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a hundred thousand euros which is still quite
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significant but which you know grass roots community
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groups who are involved are bringing again people
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together connecting communities dealing with
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the legacy of the troubles here in Ireland and
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in Northern Ireland particularly to facilitate
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their work. All right, so maybe we can move on
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to Outscape and you could give me some background
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on Outscape. So Outscape is a not -for -profit
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outdoor recreation and they are basically trying
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to promote the outdoors and try and make it as
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accessible as possible for everyone, which I
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think is a great organisation for walking for
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all to come under. It's really about getting
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people who the outdoors may not be as accessible
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to and helping them get out there and see places
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maybe they haven't seen before. Outscape also
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do, as Gareth has mentioned earlier, a lot of
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place shaping, so developing trails. In terms
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of Walking For All, it's great to have people
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on the ground that are able to look out in communities
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and see areas that potentially a trail could
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go into and then to be able to work with Outscape
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and see about getting trails in places. But yeah,
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I think Outscape is a fantastic organisation
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to be working with and to be delivering Walking
00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:08.100
For All. I think the values really align with
00:13:08.100 --> 00:13:10.000
both. Gareth might have more of an insight into
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some other particular projects that are going
00:13:12.039 --> 00:13:15.169
on. It's about working strategically, Jim, but
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then working at that grassroots level again.
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So that's very much the kind of approach of Outscape.
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So on a strategic level, we're working with local
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authorities and with national bodies like, for
00:13:27.909 --> 00:13:30.649
example, Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland
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to improve infrastructure, work on a strategic
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plan for communities to improve access and improve
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accessibility. improve access to the outdoors
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and then the kind of unrealized part of outskip
00:13:46.190 --> 00:13:50.570
for many years was a participation pillar and
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it was always sort of there being devised and
00:13:54.289 --> 00:13:56.769
perceived and again outskip were involved in
00:13:56.769 --> 00:13:59.330
over the last decade in devising the walking
00:13:59.330 --> 00:14:02.909
for all program and indeed dipped their toe with
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another program called walking in your community
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which was launched out just before COVID and
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kind of kind of petered out a little bit during
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COVID because of the obviously the restrictions
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that took hold. But that gave us a great bed
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of learning or experience in that participation
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field, which has given us the confidence now
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to launch what is, you know, what we hope to
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be the flagship walking participation programme
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on the island of Ireland over the coming weeks
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and months, the three years that we've certainly
00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:36.200
achieved funding for up until now. So participation
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is very much kind of missing piece of the puzzle
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for Outscape. And just in launching Walking for
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All, we've essentially doubled the staff that
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had come to Outscape as well. So it's quite a
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big, meaty project. And we've gone from in the
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teens number of staff over the last six months
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to having 25 staff now all working in their various
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distinct fields, whether that's trail development.
00:15:00.779 --> 00:15:03.299
what we call place shaping, working strategically
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on outdoor recreation strategies with local authorities,
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or indeed now in getting people outdoors, getting
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people to participate in walking activities and
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use those trails. And I suppose the big vision
00:15:14.539 --> 00:15:17.919
for Outscape would be to use the intelligence,
00:15:17.940 --> 00:15:20.840
as Grainne has said, that we gain from running
00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:23.700
the participation pillar. running the walking
00:15:23.700 --> 00:15:26.919
for all program to identify those areas where
00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:30.340
people are underserved in terms of accessibility
00:15:30.340 --> 00:15:33.519
in terms of being able to access good decent
00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:36.960
walking trails biking trails blue ways waterways
00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:40.639
for outdoor recreation so we're hoping to really
00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:44.179
join the dots now with walking for all informing
00:15:44.179 --> 00:15:47.080
also the work that we're doing in other aspects
00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:50.840
of the organization and other sides of the organization
00:15:52.269 --> 00:15:55.230
It's probably the same the world over, but are
00:15:55.230 --> 00:15:58.450
there issues with the level of activity for people
00:15:58.450 --> 00:16:01.600
on both sides of the border? Yeah, I think, you
00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:04.139
know, there's always going to be barriers that
00:16:04.139 --> 00:16:06.700
we're trying to overcome, whether that's, you
00:16:06.700 --> 00:16:08.379
know, where people live. We're primarily working
00:16:08.379 --> 00:16:10.860
with people living in rural areas. So you're
00:16:10.860 --> 00:16:12.559
looking at accessibility there. Is there even
00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:14.139
footpaths in their village? Is there lighting?
00:16:14.299 --> 00:16:16.779
Are the roads safe to even walk on? So I think
00:16:16.779 --> 00:16:18.460
that's where Walking for All can kind of come
00:16:18.460 --> 00:16:20.600
in, where it gives people, first of all, an element
00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:22.620
of walking with a group, helps people feel safe,
00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:24.600
but also gives them a reason to get out. You
00:16:24.600 --> 00:16:26.820
know, if they know my group is going at 10 o
00:16:26.820 --> 00:16:28.460
'clock on a Tuesday, then I know I need to be
00:16:28.460 --> 00:16:30.000
there. If you're going by yourself, it's easy.
00:16:30.059 --> 00:16:33.220
to stay in bed maybe and roll over but I think
00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:35.019
the element of a walking group helps people get
00:16:35.019 --> 00:16:36.820
out there. If you find out there's a walking
00:16:36.820 --> 00:16:39.639
group in your area it might be on a walking route
00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:41.440
that you didn't even know existed so it gives
00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:43.679
people that element of finding new routes in
00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:46.259
their areas and new places to walk and there
00:16:46.259 --> 00:16:48.120
you know can also then promote the local area
00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:49.980
but yeah I think there's definitely going to
00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:52.519
be barriers but it's just about overcoming them
00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:55.279
and you know as well. It goes with our name,
00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:57.320
Walking for All. We want walking to be accessible
00:16:57.320 --> 00:16:59.179
for everyone. We're walking, we're wheeling.
00:16:59.179 --> 00:17:01.620
So as much as possible, we want our routes to
00:17:01.620 --> 00:17:03.580
be accessible for all abilities to help break
00:17:03.580 --> 00:17:06.660
down the barriers that may exist. The principle
00:17:06.660 --> 00:17:09.799
is accessibility. It's about giving everyone
00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:12.900
the opportunity to engage in walking. So, you
00:17:12.900 --> 00:17:15.059
know, there are some key characteristics of a
00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:17.900
walking for all walk that would define us. And
00:17:17.900 --> 00:17:20.480
one of those, as Grainne has mentioned, is that.
00:17:20.940 --> 00:17:24.200
we go from the same place at the same time every
00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:27.859
week groups will over time no doubt want to vary
00:17:27.859 --> 00:17:31.220
the routes that they're taking and maybe as people's
00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:33.980
ability progresses if they get more confident
00:17:33.980 --> 00:17:36.500
they'll want to maybe undertake more challenging
00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:40.000
walks it will definitely allow an organic kind
00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:43.460
of development of walking groups over time but
00:17:43.869 --> 00:17:45.869
Certainly the core provision that we're looking
00:17:45.869 --> 00:17:48.769
to establish is same time, same place every week.
00:17:48.829 --> 00:17:51.569
So someone knows that if they go out into their
00:17:51.569 --> 00:17:53.869
community on a Tuesday at 10 o 'clock, that that
00:17:53.869 --> 00:17:56.670
walk is leaving from, let's say, the library
00:17:56.670 --> 00:17:59.509
or the school gates or wherever it may be, which
00:17:59.509 --> 00:18:01.390
means there's a real predictability about it.
00:18:01.430 --> 00:18:03.650
It means that people can rely on that provision.
00:18:03.829 --> 00:18:06.309
The other thing is that all of our walks are
00:18:06.309 --> 00:18:08.410
going to take place on lowland, easy terrain.
00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:11.579
So we're not a rambling club. There's existing
00:18:11.579 --> 00:18:14.019
provision for that. You know, the Ulster Federation
00:18:14.019 --> 00:18:16.319
of Rambling Clubs here in Northern Ireland, for
00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:19.240
example, can provision those kind of more challenging
00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:22.339
walks up the beautiful Moran Mountains that we
00:18:22.339 --> 00:18:25.000
have here or the Sperran Mountains or indeed
00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:27.259
the more challenging coastal routes that we have
00:18:27.259 --> 00:18:30.319
here. We're very much about allowing people who
00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:32.829
have maybe... who are recovering from illness,
00:18:33.109 --> 00:18:36.430
who have mobility issues of some sort, maybe
00:18:36.430 --> 00:18:40.150
people who are retired and aren't able at the
00:18:40.150 --> 00:18:43.029
minute to find that 150 minutes worth of physical
00:18:43.029 --> 00:18:45.849
exercise every week that's recommended to them.
00:18:46.349 --> 00:18:48.789
find that entry point to be able to you know
00:18:48.789 --> 00:18:51.829
start to engage with physical activity and improve
00:18:51.829 --> 00:18:54.210
their fitness level their you know and all those
00:18:54.210 --> 00:18:56.589
other physical and mental benefits that come
00:18:56.589 --> 00:18:59.609
from regular walking so lowland easy terrain
00:18:59.609 --> 00:19:01.990
and then you know just even the kind of length
00:19:01.990 --> 00:19:04.579
of the walks varies greatly you know a walkie
00:19:04.579 --> 00:19:06.700
for all walk could be just 10 minutes long you
00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:09.160
might have some individuals who are coming out
00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:12.460
after a serious illness after you know being
00:19:12.460 --> 00:19:14.880
involved in an accident or having undertaken
00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:17.680
some you know medical intervention and they just
00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:21.099
need something short but accessible that they
00:19:21.099 --> 00:19:24.119
can engage with and that really does underpin
00:19:24.119 --> 00:19:27.059
the program so although we will allow development
00:19:27.059 --> 00:19:29.920
we'll allow progression we'll allow groups to
00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:33.549
kind of Form out and become their own, you know,
00:19:33.569 --> 00:19:36.970
their own thing. Certainly our goal is to at
00:19:36.970 --> 00:19:41.789
least protect that entry level core, really accessible
00:19:41.789 --> 00:19:44.769
provision that Walker for All is seeking to establish
00:19:44.769 --> 00:19:47.690
right now in those 600 groups across Northern
00:19:47.690 --> 00:19:50.369
Ireland and the Republic. How are you getting
00:19:50.369 --> 00:19:53.730
that message out to communities? I think on the
00:19:53.730 --> 00:19:56.230
ground, each officer is established in each community.
00:19:56.369 --> 00:19:58.650
So, for example, I'm in Loud. We're really working
00:19:58.650 --> 00:20:00.690
at a grassroots level, so trying to get out to
00:20:00.690 --> 00:20:03.109
community groups. The minute I have a group working
00:20:03.109 --> 00:20:06.109
in one of the men's shed in Tully Allen, so they've
00:20:06.109 --> 00:20:10.170
started their walking group and also within GEA
00:20:10.170 --> 00:20:12.210
clubs as well have been fantastic to get involved.
00:20:12.549 --> 00:20:14.890
So it's really working at that low level, getting
00:20:14.890 --> 00:20:16.670
into community groups, promoting the programme
00:20:16.670 --> 00:20:19.269
and trying to get them involved. I'm also working
00:20:19.269 --> 00:20:22.069
within the local sports partnership and they've
00:20:22.069 --> 00:20:24.690
been fantastic at helping me get contacts with
00:20:24.690 --> 00:20:27.069
groups they've previously worked at. For each
00:20:27.069 --> 00:20:28.609
officer, I think it's definitely about getting
00:20:28.609 --> 00:20:30.450
in on the ground, getting into them community
00:20:30.450 --> 00:20:33.269
groups and kind of getting the program out there
00:20:33.269 --> 00:20:35.890
and making your presence known, I guess. And
00:20:35.890 --> 00:20:37.930
then there's also working, I guess, at a higher
00:20:37.930 --> 00:20:41.410
stakeholder level as well and letting the message
00:20:41.410 --> 00:20:43.509
trickle down, whether that be, you know, again,
00:20:43.589 --> 00:20:45.789
working with the county GAA level, the council
00:20:45.789 --> 00:20:48.509
level, and then in turn letting that message
00:20:48.509 --> 00:20:51.109
trickle down to them grassroots groups. But for
00:20:51.109 --> 00:20:52.650
me, I think definitely it's been getting into
00:20:52.650 --> 00:20:54.390
the, physically getting into community groups
00:20:54.390 --> 00:20:56.089
and chatting about the program has been a great.
00:20:56.140 --> 00:20:59.009
way to increase participation in them. Another
00:20:59.009 --> 00:21:02.230
key part of this strategy is the partnership
00:21:02.230 --> 00:21:04.509
model that we're deploying. So we're working
00:21:04.509 --> 00:21:08.089
with 15 partners across the programme and then
00:21:08.089 --> 00:21:10.769
some associate partners as well. Gráinne is a
00:21:10.769 --> 00:21:13.390
walking for all officer. And although she's employed
00:21:13.390 --> 00:21:16.650
by Outscape, she works on a day to day basis
00:21:16.650 --> 00:21:19.730
in the local sports partnership, which is the
00:21:19.730 --> 00:21:23.730
council run or council funded partnership down
00:21:23.730 --> 00:21:26.390
in County Lyth where Gráinne works and lives.
00:21:26.990 --> 00:21:30.609
So we've got this vast network of partners in
00:21:30.609 --> 00:21:32.910
Northern Ireland. In many instances, it's the
00:21:32.910 --> 00:21:35.569
local authorities. So it's the councils themselves
00:21:35.569 --> 00:21:38.710
who are employing the walking for all officer.
00:21:38.869 --> 00:21:41.650
So the walking for all officer is managed by
00:21:41.650 --> 00:21:44.329
essentially performance managed by the programme
00:21:44.329 --> 00:21:46.789
management team, all of whom are employed by
00:21:46.789 --> 00:21:50.130
Outscape. But they're seated and employed and,
00:21:50.170 --> 00:21:53.089
you know, on a day to day basis. line managed
00:21:53.089 --> 00:21:56.390
by the local authority, the local council. So
00:21:56.390 --> 00:21:58.970
that gives them that kind of rooted approach.
00:21:59.190 --> 00:22:01.589
So they're rooted within the community in which
00:22:01.589 --> 00:22:04.849
they live and work. They've also got the power,
00:22:05.029 --> 00:22:08.369
if you like, of the authority and credibility
00:22:08.369 --> 00:22:12.130
of the local council. And then all of course,
00:22:12.269 --> 00:22:14.849
the functions that come along with that. So the
00:22:14.849 --> 00:22:17.490
council have an age friendly team that is already
00:22:17.490 --> 00:22:20.910
working in communities with. perhaps people more
00:22:20.910 --> 00:22:23.390
senior kind of members of the community they've
00:22:23.390 --> 00:22:25.349
got community development teams who are working
00:22:25.349 --> 00:22:29.089
with perhaps some of the more marginalized communities
00:22:29.089 --> 00:22:32.970
within the council area they've got they've got
00:22:32.970 --> 00:22:35.970
teams of people that are already connected into
00:22:35.970 --> 00:22:38.009
if you like the people that we're seeking to
00:22:38.009 --> 00:22:40.390
connect with and we're seeking to or looking
00:22:40.390 --> 00:22:44.769
to leverage those relationships use the credibility
00:22:44.769 --> 00:22:47.410
and the voice of the local authorities and the
00:22:47.410 --> 00:22:49.890
local sports partnerships to get that word out
00:22:49.890 --> 00:22:52.269
there on top of that we've also got a centralized
00:22:52.269 --> 00:22:55.049
communications function so we're working you
00:22:55.049 --> 00:22:57.069
know we've got our own team of professionals
00:22:57.069 --> 00:23:00.309
that are working to promote the program on a
00:23:00.309 --> 00:23:03.009
national level do some of that traditional kind
00:23:03.009 --> 00:23:05.170
of above the line marketing activity as well
00:23:05.170 --> 00:23:07.849
to make sure that walking for all becomes essentially
00:23:07.849 --> 00:23:12.109
a well -known and recognized brand here in northern
00:23:12.109 --> 00:23:14.250
ireland and you know in those border counties
00:23:14.250 --> 00:23:16.990
that we're operating i know that you mentioned
00:23:16.990 --> 00:23:20.289
the 600 groups and i saw that in the information
00:23:20.289 --> 00:23:23.450
that you're looking to 600 groups in three years
00:23:23.450 --> 00:23:25.369
how are you going to achieve that because that
00:23:25.369 --> 00:23:29.220
seems quite a lot I like Grodd, you tell you,
00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:32.660
because she's on the grind delivering it. Yeah,
00:23:32.660 --> 00:23:34.819
so each area and each officer will have their
00:23:34.819 --> 00:23:36.779
targets for their area. And I guess that's based
00:23:36.779 --> 00:23:40.279
on population and geographical size. For example,
00:23:40.500 --> 00:23:43.359
my targets for Loud for the three years in terms
00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:46.559
of walking groups. For groups, I'll have 45 walking
00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:48.140
groups, hopefully by the end of the three years,
00:23:48.279 --> 00:23:51.240
182 walk leaders. So, I mean, looking at them
00:23:51.240 --> 00:23:53.880
targets in the beginning, it was, whoa. But,
00:23:53.960 --> 00:23:55.660
you know, as the program's rolling, you can really
00:23:55.660 --> 00:23:58.299
see an interest in people and getting involved.
00:23:58.619 --> 00:24:01.319
So, I mean, look, hopefully to meet the targets
00:24:01.319 --> 00:24:03.180
would be great, but I'm sure we can smash through
00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:05.380
them as well and really work on getting people
00:24:05.380 --> 00:24:07.680
out there and getting people walking. But I think
00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:09.380
the good weather coming along now is definitely
00:24:09.380 --> 00:24:12.259
increasing the interest in people and people
00:24:12.259 --> 00:24:13.720
are saying, absolutely, there's the sun again,
00:24:13.799 --> 00:24:16.420
let's get outside and let's get walking. And
00:24:16.420 --> 00:24:18.700
hopefully that will mean great things now for
00:24:18.700 --> 00:24:20.900
Walking For All. But they're big targets, but
00:24:20.900 --> 00:24:22.779
I think the team that's working on it, it's a
00:24:22.779 --> 00:24:24.690
fantastic team. team and everyone's very passionate
00:24:24.690 --> 00:24:27.950
about the program and really want to help people
00:24:27.950 --> 00:24:30.150
get out there help people get out to the outdoors
00:24:30.150 --> 00:24:32.329
you know improve their health improve their well
00:24:32.329 --> 00:24:34.529
-being help people socialize in their communities
00:24:34.529 --> 00:24:36.769
so it's a fantastic team working towards this
00:24:36.769 --> 00:24:39.150
and I have no doubt there's there's great things
00:24:39.150 --> 00:24:42.200
to come Number one, we have to be quite honest
00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:44.160
in terms of what we're delivering. One of the
00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:47.420
unique things about what we're doing versus existing
00:24:47.420 --> 00:24:51.519
programmes is that we have from the very beginning,
00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:54.160
I think, understood the need to be able to report
00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:56.859
back on what it is we're achieving. So, you know,
00:24:56.900 --> 00:24:59.859
we've got funding for the next three years, which
00:24:59.859 --> 00:25:02.559
is focused in rural communities here in Ireland.
00:25:02.700 --> 00:25:05.420
And yes, that's those 600 groups are all going
00:25:05.420 --> 00:25:09.150
to come out of those rural communities. But ideally,
00:25:09.289 --> 00:25:12.049
we really love walking for all to bed in and
00:25:12.049 --> 00:25:14.630
to look beyond those three years and expanding
00:25:14.630 --> 00:25:16.910
the programme. Some of the areas of greatest
00:25:16.910 --> 00:25:19.750
need actually exist in terms of finding people
00:25:19.750 --> 00:25:23.230
who are least active in society. They exist within
00:25:23.230 --> 00:25:27.049
those urban areas. at the moment we're not working
00:25:27.049 --> 00:25:30.490
in you know so we're also very aware that although
00:25:30.490 --> 00:25:33.569
we've got the 600 groups to form right now that
00:25:33.569 --> 00:25:35.630
really our ambition doesn't stop there we want
00:25:35.630 --> 00:25:38.109
to reach out and you know ensure that we have
00:25:38.109 --> 00:25:40.950
a kind of a national coverage at some point in
00:25:40.950 --> 00:25:42.789
order to do that we're going to need additional
00:25:42.789 --> 00:25:44.829
funding or funding beyond the three years that
00:25:44.829 --> 00:25:47.200
we're currently funded and that means that we
00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:49.180
need to be able to demonstrate the impact of
00:25:49.180 --> 00:25:51.859
our work so all of our participants all of our
00:25:51.859 --> 00:25:55.119
walk leaders are registering through a digital
00:25:55.119 --> 00:25:58.339
system they're all giving us essentially a baseline
00:25:58.339 --> 00:26:01.240
survey at the beginning which tells us a little
00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:04.470
bit about their physical activity levels as they
00:26:04.470 --> 00:26:07.089
currently are and over the course of the program
00:26:07.089 --> 00:26:10.730
we'll seek to go back out to them and just resurvey
00:26:10.730 --> 00:26:13.750
them at stages obviously based on their willingness
00:26:13.750 --> 00:26:17.410
to to respond to those but to sort of give us
00:26:17.410 --> 00:26:19.990
the kind of insights and knowledge and feedback
00:26:19.990 --> 00:26:22.309
that we need to make sure that we're having the
00:26:22.309 --> 00:26:24.509
impact that we seek to have both in terms of
00:26:24.509 --> 00:26:27.849
physical activity but also then in relation to
00:26:27.849 --> 00:26:30.630
kind of mental health and then those concepts
00:26:30.630 --> 00:26:34.099
and ideas of connectedness whether that be connectedness
00:26:34.099 --> 00:26:38.019
to each other to other communities and then to
00:26:38.019 --> 00:26:41.019
the natural environment so again one of the things
00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:43.200
that we're keen to do is not just go out and
00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:46.200
form those groups in many ways we believe jim
00:26:46.200 --> 00:26:48.240
that we're pushing on an open door with this
00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:51.980
program we believe that we've got an offer here
00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:55.819
something that really appeals to people you know
00:26:55.819 --> 00:27:00.549
it is a common sense program I think most people
00:27:00.549 --> 00:27:04.369
who we speak to see value in. So it's, again,
00:27:04.430 --> 00:27:06.450
just helping people to overcome any barriers
00:27:06.450 --> 00:27:09.849
that they have to participation on an individual
00:27:09.849 --> 00:27:13.170
level. But then beyond that, being able to demonstrate
00:27:13.170 --> 00:27:17.089
to future funders and statutory bodies the impact
00:27:17.089 --> 00:27:19.609
of the work that we're having beyond those kind
00:27:19.609 --> 00:27:22.430
of top line numbers and targets, more on a kind
00:27:22.430 --> 00:27:25.650
of individual level with case studies and stories
00:27:25.650 --> 00:27:27.990
of individuals who've benefited from the programme.
00:27:28.779 --> 00:27:31.200
And what about ensuring the trails themselves?
00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:34.779
Here in Ireland, there's more barriers and restrictions
00:27:34.779 --> 00:27:37.380
in those rural areas to cutting across the field.
00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:40.000
And, you know, one of the things that we need
00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:42.420
to do at Walking For All is ensure that all of
00:27:42.420 --> 00:27:45.099
our walking routes are authorised, if you like,
00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:47.380
so that they have the permission of a local landowner.
00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:51.559
So again, we have a lot of good centralised infrastructure.
00:27:52.140 --> 00:27:54.599
We've got a lot of forest parks, for example,
00:27:54.599 --> 00:27:56.660
in Northern Ireland and the border counties that
00:27:56.660 --> 00:27:58.900
we're operating. But they could be maybe 20 or
00:27:58.900 --> 00:28:01.220
30 miles from the village where our walking group
00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:04.440
is. And so it's about being able to define safe
00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:07.619
and accessible routes within those rural communities.
00:28:08.509 --> 00:28:11.609
Certainly the trail network, the network of walking
00:28:11.609 --> 00:28:13.990
routes here in Northern Ireland and indeed in
00:28:13.990 --> 00:28:16.349
some of those border counties as well, require
00:28:16.349 --> 00:28:18.690
a significant amount of investment and development
00:28:18.690 --> 00:28:21.009
over the coming years. You know, if we're really
00:28:21.009 --> 00:28:23.549
going to succeed in getting our communities and
00:28:23.549 --> 00:28:25.890
especially those rural communities out walking.
00:28:26.170 --> 00:28:29.430
What does the success of the programme look like?
00:28:29.470 --> 00:28:33.490
Is it just simply numbers or is it improved health?
00:28:33.630 --> 00:28:37.519
Is it building of relationships? Yeah, I think
00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:40.140
look numbers are one thing, but I think the overall
00:28:40.140 --> 00:28:43.259
success of the program is to see people getting
00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:45.859
out and getting active. It's not just about people's
00:28:45.859 --> 00:28:48.359
physical health. We want to be able to see that
00:28:48.359 --> 00:28:50.319
people have improved their mental health, that
00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:52.380
people are socializing, that there's connections
00:28:52.380 --> 00:28:55.059
being made in communities. That's the overall
00:28:55.059 --> 00:28:56.920
goal of the program. Numbers are great, but I
00:28:56.920 --> 00:28:59.500
think them success stories are fantastic, which
00:28:59.500 --> 00:29:02.160
we're already seeing a fantastic group I'm working
00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:04.059
with. As I said, the men shed, you know, they've
00:29:04.059 --> 00:29:07.339
experienced success. They sent on two men well
00:29:07.339 --> 00:29:09.160
into their 80s, completed their first lap of
00:29:09.160 --> 00:29:11.039
the pitch. And it's success stories like that
00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:13.579
that mean that our program is working much more
00:29:13.579 --> 00:29:15.099
before the numbers, as important as they are.
00:29:15.220 --> 00:29:17.240
I think it's them little stories, them little
00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:19.019
snippets that you're getting from our walk leaders
00:29:19.019 --> 00:29:21.480
and participants that really kind of give you
00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:24.000
that boost. give you that kind of reward element
00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:26.339
to the work that you're doing and jim you know
00:29:26.339 --> 00:29:28.640
we've got a monitoring and evaluation team and
00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:31.609
again that centralized source of data So when
00:29:31.609 --> 00:29:33.750
people are joining up, they're giving us those
00:29:33.750 --> 00:29:35.930
baselines in terms of, you know, how they're
00:29:35.930 --> 00:29:39.190
feeling and how active they are currently. For
00:29:39.190 --> 00:29:42.069
us, success, yes, we, of course, need to meet
00:29:42.069 --> 00:29:44.430
the commitments we've made to our funder. That's
00:29:44.430 --> 00:29:46.130
vitally important. And we're not going to take
00:29:46.130 --> 00:29:48.410
our eye off that because, you know, our ability
00:29:48.410 --> 00:29:50.630
to be able to prove that we can go and deliver
00:29:50.630 --> 00:29:53.670
those kind of really ambitious targets. So let
00:29:53.670 --> 00:29:55.910
me just run through them. We've got 600 walking
00:29:55.910 --> 00:29:58.029
groups to be established in the next three years.
00:29:58.190 --> 00:30:00.920
But that involves two and a half thousand. chosen
00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:04.559
walk leaders being trained up to facilitate those
00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:07.380
groups and to run those groups and beyond that
00:30:07.380 --> 00:30:10.140
we've set a target of 14 ,000 new participants
00:30:10.140 --> 00:30:13.460
so individuals who we would define as the least
00:30:13.460 --> 00:30:16.559
active within our society coming out and walking
00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:19.900
with us on a regular basis. So, again, it's about
00:30:19.900 --> 00:30:22.640
sustained participation. We don't want to see
00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:25.599
walkers coming out and doing one walk and deciding
00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:27.799
it's not for them. So, you know, it's really
00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:30.180
key that, you know, when we get someone who's
00:30:30.180 --> 00:30:32.599
coming out for the first time, maybe coming off
00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:36.339
the sofa, you know, maybe not taking exercise
00:30:36.339 --> 00:30:39.359
on a regular basis, maybe someone suffering from
00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:42.900
mental health issues, from isolation or loneliness,
00:30:43.099 --> 00:30:45.839
which is a huge post -COVID with our society,
00:30:45.960 --> 00:30:49.200
a huge issue that I think. of our societies are
00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:52.940
facing it's about us number one knowing that
00:30:52.940 --> 00:30:56.140
participant when they begin not being too intrusive
00:30:56.140 --> 00:30:58.700
but just trying to capture a little bit about
00:30:58.700 --> 00:31:01.279
how they're feeling about their current situation
00:31:01.279 --> 00:31:04.420
when they join the program then over the course
00:31:04.420 --> 00:31:06.640
of the lifetime of the program through sustained
00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:09.779
participation with walking and with walking groups
00:31:09.779 --> 00:31:12.420
just checking in with them at regular points
00:31:12.420 --> 00:31:15.339
and understanding have they experienced an improvement
00:31:15.339 --> 00:31:17.779
in their mental health Are they feeling less
00:31:17.779 --> 00:31:20.960
lonely, less isolated, more connected, more connected
00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:23.160
to their community, more connected to the natural
00:31:23.160 --> 00:31:25.460
environment? And, you know, our monitoring and
00:31:25.460 --> 00:31:27.859
evaluation team, who are incredibly competent
00:31:27.859 --> 00:31:30.720
and are sitting right behind us here every step
00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:33.680
of the way, primed and ready to report back and
00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:36.440
to give us the insights that really mean something,
00:31:36.579 --> 00:31:39.359
which is that we've impacted the lives of those
00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:40.859
people who've engaged with the programme over
00:31:40.859 --> 00:31:43.450
the next three years. And I think sometimes on
00:31:43.450 --> 00:31:46.549
the financial side of things as well, there are
00:31:46.549 --> 00:31:50.609
indirect things that happen, such as less reliance
00:31:50.609 --> 00:31:55.150
on the health care systems. Absolutely. It isn't
00:31:55.150 --> 00:31:57.410
a coincidence or it's not unplanned that the
00:31:57.410 --> 00:32:00.930
public health agency, the PHA here in Northern
00:32:00.930 --> 00:32:04.690
Ireland are behind the programme in many ways,
00:32:04.869 --> 00:32:07.730
has supported its development or supporting its
00:32:07.730 --> 00:32:12.369
rolling out. So there are ways that you can calculate
00:32:12.369 --> 00:32:14.890
those benefits. And again, our monitoring and
00:32:14.890 --> 00:32:18.130
evaluation team will hopefully work with experts
00:32:18.130 --> 00:32:20.970
in public health to really work out that impact.
00:32:21.309 --> 00:32:24.400
But again, those are... really the sitting behind
00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:26.599
everything, those are the kind of outcomes that
00:32:26.599 --> 00:32:29.019
we're seeking to deliver. Well, that's great.
00:32:29.079 --> 00:32:32.519
And for those who are interested in participating,
00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:36.420
either as a walker or as a leader, how do they
00:32:36.420 --> 00:32:39.059
get in touch? I guess if anyone's interested,
00:32:39.220 --> 00:32:43.529
definitely get onto our website. www .walkingforall
00:32:43.529 --> 00:32:45.789
.com. And there you can register your interest
00:32:45.789 --> 00:32:48.130
to be a walk leader. You can also register your
00:32:48.130 --> 00:32:50.450
interest and sign up to be a participant. And
00:32:50.450 --> 00:32:52.349
you'll also see all of our walks that are currently
00:32:52.349 --> 00:32:54.809
taking place. I think there's 14 walks up there
00:32:54.809 --> 00:32:56.829
at the minute. I'm sure there's plenty more to
00:32:56.829 --> 00:32:58.809
come in the next few weeks. So yeah, if anyone
00:32:58.809 --> 00:33:01.210
is any interested, please see our website for
00:33:01.210 --> 00:33:03.349
more information or our Facebook page as well.
00:33:03.410 --> 00:33:06.089
And you can get some stories there. I'd say that
00:33:06.089 --> 00:33:08.970
whether you're a seasoned walker, you know, and
00:33:08.970 --> 00:33:11.569
you maybe just want to share that love and that
00:33:11.569 --> 00:33:13.950
passion you have for getting outdoors and walking,
00:33:14.049 --> 00:33:16.289
that would put you in a great position to lead
00:33:16.289 --> 00:33:19.329
a walker for all walk as a walk leader. Or, you
00:33:19.329 --> 00:33:21.509
know, you're sitting at home and you're thinking
00:33:21.509 --> 00:33:23.710
about maybe how you can become more active, how
00:33:23.710 --> 00:33:26.450
you can improve your own health, how you can
00:33:26.450 --> 00:33:28.710
meet new people within your community, you know,
00:33:28.750 --> 00:33:31.490
make friends if you're feeling lonely, if you're
00:33:31.490 --> 00:33:34.950
feeling isolated. get on our website get signed
00:33:34.950 --> 00:33:37.970
up all of our walks are super friendly and we
00:33:37.970 --> 00:33:40.230
just love to see you there one of the other things
00:33:40.230 --> 00:33:42.289
about walking for all is that we really encourage
00:33:42.289 --> 00:33:44.769
our walk leaders to facilitate everyone having
00:33:44.769 --> 00:33:47.150
a wee cup of tea at the end it's a very Irish
00:33:47.150 --> 00:33:50.730
thing you know and everyone at the end can have
00:33:50.730 --> 00:33:53.650
a wee sit around the bench or you know if the
00:33:53.650 --> 00:33:56.730
weather's good throw a rug down onto the grass
00:33:56.730 --> 00:33:59.029
and sit and have a cup of tea and have a chin
00:33:59.029 --> 00:34:02.190
wag so beyond the walk itself it's about becoming
00:34:02.190 --> 00:34:03.970
more connected and meeting people and getting
00:34:03.970 --> 00:34:06.609
you know better connected to our community so
00:34:06.609 --> 00:34:08.730
if you're feeling like that's something you could
00:34:08.730 --> 00:34:11.210
benefit from there's a walk leader as a participant
00:34:11.210 --> 00:34:13.869
as granny said jump on the website get signed
00:34:13.869 --> 00:34:24.230
up we'd love to see you at one of our walks I've
00:34:24.230 --> 00:34:26.750
done some hiking along the northern coast of
00:34:26.750 --> 00:34:29.349
Ireland and some around Dublin as well as around
00:34:29.349 --> 00:34:32.889
Cork so I would love to go and experience more
00:34:32.889 --> 00:34:36.269
of that beautiful island. It may be wet but whatever
00:34:36.269 --> 00:34:39.610
weather they get in and around Larne you can
00:34:39.610 --> 00:34:42.130
guarantee pretty much that's what we're about
00:34:42.130 --> 00:34:44.760
to get. We have to go and do some filming in
00:34:44.760 --> 00:34:47.300
a suburb of Belfast over the Easter holidays,
00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:51.400
and sadly it's supposed to be outside to coincide
00:34:51.400 --> 00:34:53.940
with that two weeks of rain. I was about to say
00:34:53.940 --> 00:34:56.360
we need to take a canopy over with us for filming,
00:34:56.480 --> 00:34:59.199
but it would just end up being blown away to
00:34:59.199 --> 00:35:02.460
Denmark anyway. Walking for All does sound like
00:35:02.460 --> 00:35:05.739
a great project, getting people out walking and
00:35:05.739 --> 00:35:08.840
maybe moving on up to bigger and longer walks.
00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:12.800
You can't beat it, even when it is wet. So that
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:14.719
just about does it for this week. If you do have
00:35:14.719 --> 00:35:18.260
news or suggestions for podcast guests, please
00:35:18.260 --> 00:35:21.619
do get in touch through jim at walkingpost .com.
00:35:21.780 --> 00:35:24.300
We are always looking for guests, whether it's
00:35:24.300 --> 00:35:27.440
about a new trail, a new book or a walking festival,
00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:31.280
or someone who's done an amazing, unusual or
00:35:31.280 --> 00:35:34.429
interesting walk somewhere. So I hope you enjoyed
00:35:34.429 --> 00:35:38.469
this week's walkingpost .com podcast, and I hope
00:35:38.469 --> 00:35:41.090
you have a great week ahead, hopefully with a
00:35:41.090 --> 00:35:44.030
walk somewhere, regardless of whether it's raining
00:35:44.030 --> 00:35:46.750
a lot, or even if it's raining more than a lot.
00:35:47.349 --> 00:35:49.750
Until next time, happy trails!