walking
Are you planning to walk further in 2019….?
Hands up if you made a New Year resolution to get fitter, or meet new people in 2019?
Most of us reflect at this time of year and these are certainly achievable and popular resolutions. Walking with friends is an easy and accessible opportunity. Good news is that there is a growing network of walking groups for all abilities across Kincardine and Mearns.
The following are useful organisations and contacts;
1 Paths for All
Paths for All’s vision is for a happier, healthier Scotland where physical activity improves quality of life and wellbeing for all. Read the rest of this entry »
Get Ready For Winter
Over the next few weeks, K & M Communities would like to share with you some advice issued by our partners. This week we’re going to start with advice from the Met Office;
Met Office Weather Ready
The Met Office run an annual public information campaign which is aimed at raising awareness of, and encouraging the public to think about, risks associated with winter weather and the steps they could take to be better prepared.
Since 2011 the ‘Get Ready for Winter’ campaign has been run and implemented by the Met office and Cabinet Office and supported by a range of partner organisations with the same aim – of protecting life and wellbeing, especially during the winter months.
A review held after the 17/18 winter (‘Get Ready for Winter’) campaign indicated the need for some changes to be made, starting with the 18/19 campaign. In brief, the following was agreed upon:
* With snow in March 2018, the name ‘Get Ready for Winter’ felt less appropriate than ever. With this in mind, the name and remit of the campaign will change and will be year-round with a ‘launch’ during the Autumn and increased activity leading up to periods of severe weather.
* Previous campaigns have been purely digital. To reach the vulnerable we need to expand the non-digital content, using partners as the conduit for this information.
Key messages to be shared
* Prepare your property and vehicle ahead of winter, and take responsibility for your own safety.
* Be aware of the latest weather forecasts and warnings from the Met Office and be prepared to alter your plans in times of severe weather. Listen to local radio for updates during times of bad weather.
* Check on the elderly and more vulnerable in your community and check on the safety of your neighbours in the case of an emergency.
The Big Green Footprint Scheme
Fife Council have come up with an innovative way to invest in their landscape, wildlife, culture and heritage, the Big Green Footprint scheme.
Interested, read on to find out more!
Visitors should be able to enjoy the landscape, wildlife, culture and heritage that Fife has to offer today, without compromising the ability for people to continue to enjoy all that Fife has to offer tomorrow and into the future. Each year Fife draws millions of visitors to the coast and countryside for adventure and quiet enjoyment. However with so many footsteps on paths and wheels on roads some impact on our natural environment is inevitable. It is all about finding a balance between encouraging recreation and tourism to support local livelihoods and protecting and conserving the environment.
The Big Green Footprint scheme is a way of offering visitors the opportunity to give a little something back to the places they love and providing a mechanism for collecting those small contributions which, collectively, add up to a significant amount of funding.
The Big Green Footprint scheme is not a one-size-fits-all type of scheme, but that is one of its great strengths. It is creative, flexible and multifaceted and works in many different ways across a wide range of businesses. Indeed any business which has guests or customers can operate ‘The Big Green Footprint Scheme’.
Businesses can gain Big Green Footprint accreditation in a number of ways, for example, Cafés and Restaurants can name an item on the menu the ‘Coastal Path Loaf or the East Lomond Slice’ and add a small fee to the item to contribute to the work of the Trust in your area, retailers – why not select an item of stock and advertise that part of the proceeds go towards the upkeep of the Coastal Path?
Want to know more, click on the link http://fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk/Support-Us/Big-Green-Footprint-Scheme_9.html
Adventurous Enterprise
Tourism has long been a cornerstone of the Scottish economy – generating £6bn in the last year. This year’s good weather and low pound are projected to boost that even further. One of the fastest growing sectors in recent years across the industry worldwide has been adventure tourism, and with Scotland’s coastline, mountains and rivers it comes as no surprise that this growth is being mirrored here.
According to HIE’s Adventure Tourism in Scotland Research Report – there were at least 350 Adventure Tourism businesses operating in Scotland in 2015. More than a third of adventure tourism businesses were located in the Highland Council area, followed by 12% in Argyll and Bute and 8% in Perth and Kinross. 84% of businesses described themselves as activity and experience providers, with the remainder identifying as activity centres and attractions.
Cross sector collaboration initiatives can play an important role in developing the adventure tourism
market. Sectors such as retail and transport benefit from the tourism industry through improved infrastructure, increased footfall and repeat custom, while accommodation providers can work in tandem with adventure tourism organisations in the area to create a better-quality tourist offer to entice visitors to the area. Collaboration between social enterprise, private business and the public sector is key to increasing the quality of tourist offer available, however more could be done between social enterprise projects and with the wider tourism industry.
The Tourism Scotland 2020 strategy aims to grow Scotland’s visitor spend by £1bn in real terms, from
£4.5bn in 2011 to £5.5bn by 2020. To achieve this, the strategy has identified three key growth markets to make up the backbone of tourism revenue by 2020;
- Home turf:
£3,127m in 2011
Potential £3,586m–£4,238m in 2020
England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales. - Near neighbours:
£731m in 2011
Potential £875m–£1,035m in 2020
Scandinavia, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland,
Netherlands, Italy. - Distant cousins:
£414m in 2011
Potential £505m–£598m in 2020
USA, Australia, Canada.
Adventure tourism is identified as an area which offers “significant potential for growth” within the strategy. Collaboration between local businesses in rural destinations is key to developing a tourism offer which can engineer economic growth – local assets such as hill walking and cycling can be integrated with culture, local history, food and drink to create immersive tourism packages which better reflect the local area.
Want to find out more, have a look at the Senscot briefing, makes interesting reading; https://senscot.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Adventure-Tourism-Briefing.pdf
Get Active Outdoors
Parks, gardens, greenspaces, woodlands and local paths are ideal settings for a spot of green exercise. Perhaps you like to relax by taking a gentle stroll or by tidying up the garden. Maybe cycling to work starts the day on a high note or you look forward to evenings playing sport in the park.
Whatever pace you set yourself, being in the outdoors and getting active is great for your physical and mental health and well-being.
It’s recommended that adults do at least five 30-minute sessions of moderate exercise per week. For children, it’s at least 1 hour every day. Getting active outdoors could be an easy way for you to meet your target.
Learn about green exercise and its benefits.
Step to it
Parks and woods are a brilliant backdrop for your walk, cycle or jog. Soak up the surroundings and say hello to your neighbours as you get your daily dose of green exercise. You can probably reach your favourite local greenspace via a traffic-free route – so you can leave the car at home.
Active travel is another option if you struggle to set aside a specific time for outdoor exercise. Just choose to walk or cycle whenever you have to go somewhere and you’ll soon start to clock up the miles.
Discover your local path network today.
Kincardine & Mearns Ranger Service
Saturday 14th July 1.30 – 3.30pm
WILD PLANT HUNT
Waterlogged and acidic peat makes life really tough on
a raised bog. Track down the wonderful wild bog plants
living on Portlethen Moss. We will uncover a few of
their survival secrets, encounter a carnivorous plant and
discover some natural dyes and pigments. Please wear
wellies for this wetland exploration. Booking essential.
MEET: at the Bruntland Road entrance to Portlethen
Moss, Portlethen
CONTACT: the Kincardine and Mearns Ranger on 07768
704671 kincardineandmearns.ranger@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Put Your Best Foot Forward
Thinking, talking, and walking are inextricably linked through history. It is only a recent idea that we meet around tables, seated in chairs. We want to help you rediscover and share the value of walking meetings.
Aristotle was said to walk as he taught, founding what we now refer to as Ancient Greece’s Peripatetic School of Philosophy. This name was derived from the colonnade or walkway in the Lyceum in which he taught. The Sophists, philosophers predating Socrates, were wanderers. They travelled place to place on foot delivering talks.
Despite the onslaught of “mobile” technology, people are spending more time sitting at their desk than ever before. The average worker sits about 9.5 hours a day – which is 2 hours more per day than they sleep.
What keeps us tethered to our desks? Our insatiable thirst for increased productivity and efficiency. Ironically, one of the things that makes us most effective is leaving our desks.
It’s well-known that Steve Jobs insisted on walking meetings, and Mark Zuckerberg favors them as well.
Here are 7 reasons you want to consider incorporating moving meetings into your culture:
- Employee Health.
Walking meetings allow employees to integrate physical activity throughout their workday, which yields improved health, lower health care costs, and a lower number of sick days. - Higher Employee Energy
Movement yields circulation; circulation yields energy. Rather than reach for a biscuit to get a boost of energy, take a walk outside. - Inspiration.
Nature and changes of scenery trigger new neuro-pathways in our brains which yield new ideas, and new solutions to problems. - A Flatter Organization.
- Technology executive Nilofer Merchant shares in her 3-minute TED Talk that when executives and employees walk side-by-side, the hierarchical boundaries are virtually eliminated.
- Increased Collaboration.
- Walking meetings aren’t just for a few people. Larger groups can benefit as well. Unlike traditional meetings in a conference room, where attendees take a seat and often don’t move until the meeting is over, mobile meetings give attendees the option of moving freely from one conversation to another.
- Stronger Personal Connections.
Walking meetings take the corporate feeling out of meetings. Employees can accomplish the same goals set for a traditional meeting, but they can relate on a much more personal level. - Minimized Differences.
Walking meetings bring everyone together. As companies continue to employee 5 different generations of workers, and as diversity increases in the workforce, walking meetings break down both conscious and unconscious biases and barriers.So next time you’re scheduling a meeting, why not give a walking meeting a go?
North Kincardine Treasure Map
Newtonhill, Muchalls & Cammachmore Community Council have been busy developing the North Kincardine Treasure map. 
Its aim to encourage people to explore North Kincardineshire supports the work we have been doing to enhance and increase activity in the local area. A copy of the map has been delivered to all dwellings in Council Ward 17, highlighting five key trails with points of interest along the way. An interactive website provides additional information and routes and will develop into a valuable archive of the area.
The ‘Treasure Map’ project was linked to an Integrated Travel Town Project and a Community Sports Hub (CSH) ‘healthy weight project’. It encourages local residents to get out and about and tells them more about their local area. This is community and Council working together to create something special for the whole community!”
Want to know more? Visit http://www.discovernorthkincardine.org.uk/index.html
The Chapelton Bike Ride, Sunday, September 3rd 2017
The launch of new 5K charity walk aims to encourage non-cyclists to get involved with local bike ride – The Chapelton Bike Ride, Sunday, September 3rd 2017
The Chapelton Bike Ride will return for a second year on Sunday, September 3, with the addition of the new Chapelton 5K Walk sponsored by Liberty Retirement Living, which will coincide with the event’s 42-mile and 12-mile bike rides. Held in aid of North East Sensory Services (NESS), the event was formerly the Great Stonehaven Bike Ride, before it moved to the village of Chapelton, near Newtonhill. Last year, over 250 cyclists took part in the first ever Chapelton Bike Ride, raising over £6,500 for NESS. Registration costs £15 per person for the 42-mile route, £5 per person for the 12-mile route, or £15 for a team of four for the 12-mile cycle. The 5K walk is free to enter, but all participants must register via the website. Register for the Chapelton Bike Ride at www.chapeltonbikeride.co.uk.
Walking for Health Training
Inclusion Training – including people with a
disability in Health Walks and outdoor
activities
Course Overview:
This is an interactive and practical 4 hour course for Walk Leaders and
staff/volunteers involved in leading outdoor activities.
This training aims to increase confidence in supporting the inclusion of disabled
people in outdoor activities such as Health Walks or other low level activities. The
focus of this course is on ability rather than disability, and the aim is to help you to
influence and deliver good practice, to communicate effectively and to find out where
to go for further information.
The course is delivered by experienced trainers from Scottish Disability Sport.
Who it’s suitable for: Trained Walk Leaders, volunteers and staff from organisations
that offer outdoor activities.
Course Materials: Paths for All provides all training materials including a course
workbook and follow up slides and handouts which will be sent by email after the
course.
Duration: Four hours. You will go outside for 2 walking sessions during the course,
so please come dressed appropriately.
Price: To book your own course, delivered by our freelance trainers for up to 20
people, £600. If you are just looking for 1 or 2 places on a course, please check our
training calendar for courses and prices. If you can’t find what you’re looking for,
please contact us.
Location: Delivered in your local area.
Booking information: For more information or to book a course please contact
training@pathsforall.org.uk or call Marion Munro on 01259 222336.
Paths for All’s Big Fit Walk campaign
The Big Fit Walk is now in its 14th year. Its aim is simple. We want to inspire communities across Scotland to come together for a walk to celebrate the benefits of being active. It’s about having fun and staying healthy, anyone can host or attend a Big Fit Walk during the month of June! The Big Fit Walk is a fun and social way to show people the joy of a short walk. Whether you are looking to showcase an area in your community, get your workplace or school more active, or recruit new walkers to your Health Walk, the Big Fit Walk is a simple and easy way to put short local walks on the map in Scotland. Paths For All provide Health Walk groups, community groups, workplaces, schools and others with free resources to organise their own 30 minute local led walk during June. From posters and invites to get people along to your walk to a guide on running a successful walk, our pack has all the resources you will need to make your Big Fit Walk a success! To order your Big Fit Walk resource pack or download resources please visit: http://www.pathsforall.org.uk/bigfitwalk
Innovation in cycling and walking funding
Organisations can apply for a share of up to £470,000 for innovative proposals that encourage more journeys by bicycle or on foot. The Department for Transport (DfT) will fund up to £470,000 for innovative projects that lead to more walking and cycling. Proposals will tackle current barriers and encourage more journey stages to be made by bicycle or on foot. Innovations may include, for example, technology, infrastructure, manufacturing or behavioural change. Deadline: Wednesday 7th June. For more information, visit: https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/15/overview.
K&M Communities 