If you’re one of the many people who are looking to improve your health and wellbeing by getting more active one of the best and most accessible ways of doing this is by walking. Walking has been shown to have lots of health benefits and for many people will be the easiest way to work towards the recommended 30 minutes of activity five days a week.

Walking together with other people can be an excellent way to improve both physical and mental health. With that in mind partners in the Basildon and Brentwood alliance have joined up with Basildon Sporting Village to provide a weekly walking opportunity for local people who would like to get more active in the company of other like-minded people.

The walks are a great example of the NHS, local councils, leisure centres and other local service providers working together for the benefit of their local communities.

The sessions are for everyone but the organisers hope that, in particular, health and care staff take the time to join in to support their own health and wellbeing as well as encouraging others in the communities they work in to take steps towards becoming more active.

Basildon Sporting Village has provided their athletics track free of charge each week for the walking session, and want to encourage everyone who comes along for the walks to explore some of the other great activities that take place there.