Over
a 5th of people in the UK never walk for exercise
- and ½ never walk to work
22% of
the UK population never walk for exercise or
leisure at all; and 46% of people never walk to or
for work, according to new research for National
Walking Month.
A survey commissioned by Living Streets, the UK
charity for everyday walking, shows that Glasgow
is the top City in the UK for walking, with the
highest proportion of people (86%) saying they
sometimes walk purely for leisure or exercise.
However, Nottingham is the City with the lowest
proportion of people (68%) who ever head out to
get some exercise by walking. Brighton, Liverpool,
Sheffield and Cardiff are also in the top 5 cities
for walking. But Plymouth, Manchester, Bristol and
Newcastle come in the bottom 5. The new data shows
that 68% of the whole UK population claim to walk
for at least 20 minutes each day for exercise or
leisure.
National Walking Month, which is organised by
Living Streets every May, is this year encouraging
everyone to:- #Try20, and walk for 20 minutes each
day. Walking is an easy and accessible way to
improve physical and mental health. A 20 minute
walk can reduce the risk of preventable health
conditions including:- certain cancers,
depression, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
The survey has also revealed that 32% of people
say they have less time for walking now than they
did during lockdown, because they are socialising
more. 46% of people feel guilty for walking less
now that lockdown is over.
According to Living Streets' survey, the biggest
motivators for people to get out and walk are
fresh air (46%), to maintain fitness and physical
health (36%) and to improve mental health and
wellbeing (35%).
Other reasons for walking are to lose weight
(29%), to connect with nature (21%) and to
exercise my pet (19%).
People find the biggest barriers to walking to be
bad weather (50%) and concerns about not feeling
safe walking alone (19%). Other reasons for not
walking include not having time (16%), concerns
about e-scooters (11%), air pollution (11%) and
traffic (10%).
52% of people say they notice an effect on their
weight if they don't walk or notice an effect on
their mental health (53%).
Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets
said:- "It is encouraging that ⅔ of
us walk for at least 20 minutes a day. But it
is very concerning that so many people never
walk for exercise or leisure at all; and such
a high proportion of people don't walk to or
for work. Walking is good for our minds, our
bodies and our neighbourhoods. Walking for
short journeys, instead of driving, helps to
reduce congestion, road danger and air
pollution. Even a short, brisk walk can have
fantastic mental and physical health benefits,
helping to prevent long term chronic health
conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart
disease and depression and improving the
management of existing conditions. Walking is
a great way to exercise and socialise at the
same time. Active people report higher levels
of mental wellbeing and are more likely to be
satisfied with their life, feel happier and
less anxious; and walking together can reduce
feelings of loneliness and isolation. With
lockdown restrictions lifted and the weather
getting nicer, it's time for us to walk back
together."
Percentage of people in UK Cities who say
they sometimes walk for exercise or
leisure:-
► Glasgow
- 86%
► Brighton
- 84%
► Liverpool
- 83%
► Sheffield
- 82%
► Cardiff
- 81%
► Leeds
- 80%
► Birmingham
- 80%
► Belfast
- 78%
► Southampton
- 78%
► Norwich
- 77%
► London
- 77%
► Edinburgh
- 76%
► Newcastle
- 76%
► Bristol
- 76%
► Manchester
- 74%
► Plymouth
- 71%
► Nottingham
- 68%
What are the biggest
walking motivators?
► To
get fresh air (46%)
► To
maintain fitness and physical health (36%)
► To
improve mental health and wellbeing (35%)
►
To
lose weight (29%)
► To
connect with nature (21%)
► To
exercise my pet (19%)
► To
count my daily steps (17%)
► To
save money (13%)
► To
spend time with friends/family (12%)
► To
help reduce congestion and air pollution (5%)
What are the barriers for not walking?
1. Bad weather (50%)
2. Don't feel safe walking alone (19%)
3. Lack of suitable walking routes (16%)
4. Places I need to go are not within walking
distance (16%)
5. I don't enjoy walking alone (16%)
6. I don't have time to walk (16%)
7. Worried about e-scooters (11%)
8. Air pollution (11%)
9. Worried about traffic (10%)
10. Worried about parked cars (9%)
Southport causesurged to apply for CoOp Local Community Fund
THE CoOp has opened
applications for its Local Community Fund and is
looking for local causes in Southport to apply.
Over the past 6 years CoOp has supported ₤398,162
local causes in Southport and from 3 May, local
groups have the chance to apply for funding via:-
CoOp.Co.UK.
The fund is continuing to support local
organisations that are involved in providing
access to food, helping to improve mental
wellbeing or provide opportunities for young
people and, for the 1st time, causes that are
working to protect local biodiversity or tackle
climate change.
Groups looking to deliver projects in any of these
areas are being encouraged to apply online for the
fund, which, through the help of Co-Op members,
has raised over ₤85m for nearly 30,000 projects
since it began in 2016.
When CoOp Members buy selected CoOp products and
services from CoOp, 2p for every ₤1 spent goes
into their CoOp Membership account. The same
amount is then given to support national community
organisations through the Community Partnership
Fund and local causes via the Local Community
Fund.
Members can choose the causes they wish to support
and, with the help of CoOp's Community Wellbeing
Index, go online to compare their community with
28,000 others across the UK. By entering a
postcode the Index will reveal a community's
overall wellbeing score and indicate its
performance across nine specific areas,
including:- education, health and open spaces,
helping members prioritise where to send their
support.
Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community and
Membership at the CoOp said:- "Since the Local
Community Fund began, we have raised an amazing
₤85m for grassroots causes, as a direct result
from the support of our members. Also, by
applying for the Local Community Fund, groups
will join our online community centre,
Co-operate, which can help them find additional
resources, as well as further donations, making
this not just a fund, but a partnership. Even if
a funding application is not successful, the
group will still be a part of a network of over
12,000 groups on Co-operate. And for the 1st
time I'm so pleased to announce that we have
extended the criteria to include causes that are
particularly dedicated to helping tackle
biodiversity and carbon reduction, from local
community gardens to small scale renewable
energy schemes."
Causes wanting more information about applying for
the next round of the CoOp's Local Community Fund
should visit:- CoOp.Co.UK
close on:- 29 May 2022.