North Country Leisure staff put both feet forward for National Walk to Work Week
Staff at North Country Leisure (NCL) led the way by walking to work during National Walk to Work Week last week. NCL is the charitable organisation which manages Wentworth Leisure Centre and Prudhoe Waterworld, along with other centres across Northumberland and Cumbria.
The initiative was organised by national charity Living Streets which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund, to highlight how walking can bring much needed activity into our daily lives. Walk to Work aims to highlight the benefits that walking for some, or all of the route to work can bring, emphasising that it is fun, green and healthy.
Over a dozen members of staff from head office NCL House, Wentworth and Waterworld walked to work over the course of the week. Several members of staff walk to work on a daily basis, living in close vicinity to their place of work, while others braved the weather and walked into Hexham from as far away as Wall and Humshaugh. Others cycled into work, some from as far as Prudhoe to Hexham, a distance of 12 miles.
Walk to Work is helping NCL towards gaining it’s Gold ‘Healthy People Healthy Business’ Accreditation, having gained the silver last year.
NCL Health Walks Co-Ordinator Alison Carter says, “Incorporating walking into our daily journeys brings great benefits for individuals and organisations as a whole. Walking all or part of your commute is an excellent way to get some activity into your day, doing wonders for both your mental and physical health. Even if it’s not practical to walk the whole way, by getting off the bus earlier or parking the car further away, we can all walk more in our daily lives and reap the benefits.”
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets says, “We’re facing an obesity epidemic in this country, largely because very few people are actually exercising enough to get health benefits. There is, however, a free and easy way to fit more exercise into your routine – give yourself a daily dose of walking. The impact of walking more can be huge, not only for your health, but to give you time to plan the day ahead or to unwind after it.”
