Broxtowe walking group celebrates 20 years of boosting health and happiness

Broxtowe Walk & Talk was originally started in 2003 by Broxtowe Borough Council and NHS Nottinghamshire as a new way to help people with cardiac problems get more exercise.

Over time, the group grew extremely popular and blossomed into offering a larger number of walks and attracting people of all ages and backgrounds.

The group is now fully independent and provides a range of free weekly walks in the local area.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, a special buffet lunch event was held at The Venue at Eastwood Town Football Club on Thursday, April 18.

The event was attended by almost 60 people, with a special appearance by the Mayor of Broxtowe, councillor David Grindell.

Broxtowe Walk & Talk chairman Glynn Lowth said: “Everybody had a good time, it was nice for people to get together socially.

“The mayor gave a speech offering his congratulations and we had a raffle, there was buffet and it was the perfect social occasion to celebrate 20 years.”

Walkers usually meet on Mondays and Thursdays each week to walk in various beauty spots around the borough, including Colliers Wood and Bennerley Viaduct.

Glynn said: “Before lockdown, there was sometimes up to 100 people on our Thursday walk.

“We’ve cut it down now as couldn’t control the walk with too many.

“The walk on Thursday is a longer and brisker walk, while Monday is a gentler walk aimed at people who are older or perhaps a bit more isolated.

“We also have an arrangement with Age UK whereby we will accept anybody in our area who is recommended through the social prescribing system by their GP.”

Each walk is led by a qualified walk leader and offers an opportunity to keep fit, while providing a friendly social environment and the opportunity to explore the local area.

Glynn added: “I worked out that over time, all of our walkers have walked roughly a quarter of a million miles, which is something like the distance from the Earth to the moon.

“It’s really intended as a social thing as well as a health-giving thing and that’s why it is so popular.”