Supported by the Scottish Government, and available exclusively to the 265 members of our Scottish Health Walk Network, our annual Walking for Health Fund helps make it possible for more people to join a Health Walk.
In 2020-21, grants were awarded to fund new jobs, increase the number of weekly Health Walks, support youth and family walking opportunities and continue and create Health Walks for people with disabilities.
Here’s a taster of the work our grants supported:
• North Lanarkshire Active Schools were awarded a grant to expand the existing Girls on the Go programme into 10 local high schools
• Braveheart in Falkirk secured funding to diversify their walking activities and provide more opportunities for those who have become deconditioned due to the Covid-19 pandemic
• A successful grant application from Sole Sisters in Fife means that the Health Walk programme for migrant women in Kirkcaldy can grow with more weekly walks, family walks and one-to-one walks
• Dumfries and Galloway’s Regional Walking Development project was awarded a grant to establish a new strategic Health Walk coordinator post to strengthen partnerships within health improvement and extend social prescribing pathways to Health Walks via health professionals
• Thanks to one of our grants, Parklea Health Walks in Inverclyde will restart their weekly Health Walk, recruit new walkers, start an additional walk and train more Walk Leaders to address the reduction in physical and mental health and social inclusion due to Covid-19 among people with a physical or learning disability.
Frances Bain, our Walking for Health manager said:
Once again, our Walking for Health Fund was oversubscribed which shows the appetite and enthusiasm among our members to increase the number of Health Walks available and create new partnerships locally.
I’d like to say congratulations to all 22 projects awarded grants. The great work they are doing means more people can become physically active, especially people who have additional barriers to joining Health Walks.
We’re looking forward to working with all the projects and continuing to support the Scottish Health Walk Network as we start our recovery from the impact of Covid-19.
Our next round of Walking for Health funding is due to open in April 2021.