“Enlightening, friendly and fun”.
The initial feedback for Wellbeing Exeter’s inaugural Walking Festival is in and it is safe to say that it has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm.
Residents from across Exeter came together to walk an astounding 3,508km across the week, helping to raise around £2,673 for various charities such as Exeter City Community Trust, Elf, and Exeter Supporters Trust, as well as map out 84 walking routes and host 47 events.
These amazing milestones could not have been made possible without all 20 partners involved, who introduced us to the hundreds of years of history that Exeter has to offer, shared knowledge about the nature found right on our doorstep, brought people together whose paths may never have crossed, and so much more.
Every single person who attended took home something valuable, whether that be awareness of new local areas, the confidence to try out a new group, or pride in having reached their individual walking milestones across the week. This event truly had something for everyone.
As we reflect on the event as a whole, it is important to acknowledge the power of an activity as simple as going for a walk: it has the potential to connect both people and the planet. It can help us to relax and ready ourselves to overcome any challenge. And most importantly, it can benefit both our physical and mental health quite significantly.
So overall, I think that we can confidently say that Exeter’s very first Walking Festival was a resounding success.
However, it does not stop here.
There are so many amazing walking opportunities that are available all year round! Whether that be Westbank’s weekly Health Walks, the Exeter Stroller’s walking football sessions, or simply just spend a day exploring the Green Circle. The opportunities are endless.
You can check out just a few of these possible activities on the Your Local Exeter website. We hope to see you out and about soon!