Volunteer to be a walk leader
Walking is set to play a bigger role in a healthier nation; evidence increasingly shows its many benefits.
Walking can:
- Make you feel good
- Give you more energy
- Help you to sleep better
- Help you to reduce stress
- Keep your heart healthy and strong
- Lower blood pressure
- Help you to manage your weight
What is a health walk
- A regular walk designed for people who take little or no exercise and/or people who live in areas of poor health
- Initially could be 20-30 minutes progressing to 1 hour of brisk walking
- It will start from the 'doorstep' i.e. local to the clients, within their community
- The walk will be led by a trained 'Volunteer Health Walk Leader'
Background of health walks in Salford
Salford Community Leisure's Health Walk Scheme forms part of a national programme to help encourage and support people to become more physically active to improve their health. Health Walks are led by trained volunteers and can be from 45 mins to 1 hour in length. The Health Walks aim to promote the message of ‘doing at least 30mins of moderate activity on at least 5 days of the week'.
Volunteer health walk leader - role description
Once a volunteer has completed the health walk leader training we would expect the leaders to:
- Lead the walkers as demonstrated on the 'health walk leader training day'
- Complete an appointed first aid certificate
- To ensure safety of all participants on the walk
- To spend at least 1-1.5hrs per week leading a walk
- Have a sound knowledge of their local area, which will help when researching walking routes within the area
- To attend group meetings regarding the walks and volunteers' roles
- To ensure any information from the health walks coordinator is circulated to all walkers
- Assist the 'health walk coordinator' to promote the walk locally
The skills required for a volunteer health walk leader
- Enjoy walking and the benefits associated with it
- Enthusiastic
- Good planner/organiser
- Enjoy meeting and motivating people
- Comfortable with being assertive, to help keep the group together
The benefits of becoming a volunteer health walk leader
- Satisfaction in helping others to access and enjoy the benefits of walking
- Receive one day free 'Health Walk leader training' course which includes:
- What is a health walk
- The benefits and barriers of exercise
- Components of a walking session
- Physical activity needs and special conditions
- Leading a walk
- Health and safety
- Demonstration health walk
- Support from the health walk coordinator in setting up, promoting and risk assessing routes
- Resources to assist with 'health walks' - fluorescent tabards, rucksack, first aid kit
- Public liability insurance through Salford Community Leisure Ltd
Who to contact
- Name
- Jo Bennett
- Address
- Active Lifestyles Development Officer
Salford Watersport Centre
15 The Quays
Salford
M50 3SQ
Map to this location - Telephone
- 0161 778 0559
- jo.bennett@scll.co.uk
This page was last updated on 13 June 2011
