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Walking groups from County Down have taken part in the first twinning walks under the Walking for All programme, meeting counterparts from Louth as part of a new cross-border initiative. The scheme, supported by PEACEPLUS and delivered by Outscape, aims to engage over 14,000 people in accessible, led walking activities over three years.
The first of three twinning walks took place on 23 July in Carlingford, where Walking for All groups from Louth and Down met for a guided historic walking tour of Carlingford Harbour. On 24 July, members of the Antrim and Derry/Strabane Walking for All groups took a ferry to Rathlin Island for a walking event, and on 28 July in Sligo, groups from Sligo and Cavan joined together for the first time for a twinning walk. Each event was designed to bring people of different places, backgrounds, ages and abilities together to walk, share experiences and build new connections.
The twinning walks form part of the wider Walking for All programme, which has so far created weekly walks throughout the region and border counties and recruited 500 walk leaders in its first six months. The programme is supported by €7.53 million from PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUBP), and is being delivered in Northern Ireland in partnership with eight local councils and the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust, and in the border counties with six Local Sports Partnerships. The Public Health Agency, Sport Ireland and Mountaineering Ireland (Get Ireland Walking) are associate partners in the programme.
Free walks take place every week and no special equipment is required. Free Walk Leader training is also available for anyone interested in setting up a regular community walk in their area, with Walk Leaders receiving full support and training to help them create a lasting local activity that is open, inclusive and easy to sustain.
Reflecting on the first Walking for All twinning walk in Carlingford, Gareth Moore, Head of Participation for Outscape and Walking for All, said: "Walking side by side is one of the simplest ways to bring people together. These first twinning walks show what Walking for All is all about, creating tangible opportunities for people from different communities, abilities and backgrounds to meet, walk, and build connections in a relaxed, welcoming way."
Clare Boyle, a member of the Melvin Walk in Strabane, said: "Walking together gives us a chance to get to know each other and share ideas. It is a chance to be part of something and to make new friends. Going to Cloughmills and Rathlin was wonderful. It was fun to share the experience with another walking group and to see them experience similar benefits."
People can find their nearest walk at walkingforall.com.
