Set Up A Community Project

British Nordic Walking has worked with over 80 different community based organisations to establish Nordic Walking groups. These projects use Nordic Walking in the fields of obesity reduction, Active ageing, GP Referral Schemes, Cardiac Rehab, Walking for Health, Mental Health Groups, Inactive Communities, Stroke rehab, Parkinson’s groups and Accessing Green Space

The Finnish Government successfully used Nordic Walking as part of their national policy to improve health and wellbeing. Nordic Walking is now a national pastime in Finland. This has caught the interest of local authorities in the UK.

British Nordic Walking recognises the diversity of our communities and the different challenges and opportunities that face them. Please contact us to discuss what would be the best solution for your group and look at ways of funding this development. We can offer your team the opportunity to become ‘Nordic Walking Instructors’ or ‘Nordic Walk Leaders’ either on bespoke in-house courses at a location to suit you or on public courses.

	Volunteer scheme Age Cymru has recruited over 40 volunteers from across Wales to deliver free Nordic Walking classes to the over 55’s. The volunteers were trained to become INWA Instructors on in-house and public courses. Age Cymru has a paid project coordinator who supports the team of volunteers.

	Volunteers and Staff In Northumberland British Nordic Walking worked in partnership with organisations to set up local Nordic Walking groups with Stockton, Hartlepool, Darlington Sports Development, local councils, PCTs Age UK and MIND. They were so successful in 2011 that they organised a major Nordic Walking festival in the autumn.

	External Contract Venture Out wanted to use Nordic Walking to increase participation in exercise among women over the age of 50 in a deprived area where the population is typically hard to motivate. Barefoot Studio, a local Nordic Walking centre, was contracted in to deliver a 12-month Nordic Walking project. A development worker worked with local people; offering tasters, risk assessing routes and identifying key walking areas. Local people are now instructors and continue to run classes.