Promoting Well Being

Becoming a Volunteer Walk Leader with Southern Area Walking for Health (SAWH) gives you the opportunity to:
• Meet new people in your community.
• Share your experience and knowledge.
• Learn new skills.
• Explore your local area and green spaces.

What does being a Walk Leader Involve?
The three main responsibilities involved in being a walk leader are:-
1. Recording of a register of walkers at each walk.
2. Ensuring health questionnaires are completed for all new walkers.
3. Planning and risk assessing walks for your walk programme.

Training
In the Southern Area, Volunteer Walk Leader training is delivered FREE through the Southern Area Walking for Health team.  To date SAWH have trained more than 400 volunteer walk leaders who have went on to establish more than 60 local walking groups.

The SAWH team provides regular training throughout the year for walk leaders.  These leaders go on to either establish new walking groups or support walking groups they are currently a part of.

The aim of the one day Walk Leader course is to train adults on how to set up local walking for health programmes; lead safe and enjoyable walks for people of all ages and abilities; promote the health benefits of walking and motivate people to take up walking.

The walk leader training is a one day course covering the following areas:

• Introduction to health
• What physical activity is important – walking for health
• Components of a health walk – warm up, main walk, cool down
• Route planning
• Registration
• Walk Leader responsibilities
• How to promote your walks

On completion of this training participants will be eligible to receive free insurance cover to lead a health walks programme anywhere within the UK.  Walk leaders will also be registered on a database and will receive ongoing support from the local Walk Coordinator and Southern Area Walking for Health team.

For information on FREE Volunteer Walk Leader training in your area contact:

Sabrina Lynn
Southern Area Physical Activity Coordinator
Tel: 028 38344973 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it