Scarborough walking group attracts people outside of town to join
Carers Plus Yorkshire say it's to boost mental and physical wellbeing as well as tackling loneliness and isolation
A walking group in Scarborough is continuing to be successful as it is attracting people from outside the town to join them.
Organisers, Carers Plus Yorkshire, says it is to boost mental and physical wellbeing as well as tackling loneliness and isolation.
The walks are a mile and a half each.
Sarah Cockburn is the charity's community engagement adviser in Scarborough and said: "It's not about quantity. It's about the quality. When we first started we just did a six-week pilot to see how well it would be. Nobody knew each other and people were really wanting to make social connections and just get out and do some positive walking, which was good for mental wellbeing and to reduce social isolation.
"All of our walks are a mile and a half. It's about getting people up and for everybody, it's that same day, same time each week and they're all in Scarborough. We've got a set of seven walks that we change each week. It's always on a flat surface, there's no hills, we always have a bench and we make sure that there's a bus stop and free parking.
"There's a gentleman that comes from Ryedale, he was bereaved and quite struggling with his grief. He's made some really good friendships and if he comes, he drives over from Ryedale every week. He's made friends and him and this other lady now go to Scarborough Athletic, they have season tickets and they have joint-patch interest. It's amazing. It's really great and it's lovely to see things like that.
"People have made friendships, they've supported each other and if people are feeling nervous, we have a staff member who goes along with them. It's a very gentle walk and the aim is about meeting other people in your local area and just having that familiarity and something positive to do to boost your physical and mental wellbeing."