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<v Speaker 1>Hello. I'm Ray Lee and this is the Gillingham Podcast

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<v Speaker 1>for anyone living in the Gillingham and Spa area.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm talking to Penny Pete, who's the organizer of the

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<v Speaker 2>Gillingham Walkers. Tell us a bit about the gilling And Walkers, Penny.

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<v Speaker 3>While, we're a group that meets generally once a week

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<v Speaker 3>to walk sociably and at a pace.

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<v Speaker 4>That suits all.

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<v Speaker 3>We set up twenty one years ago now, oh really,

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<v Speaker 3>so it's been running for a while. We meet Gillingham

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<v Speaker 3>and we also have a long walk that meets in

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<v Speaker 3>other places, but I'll cover that in a minute. But

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<v Speaker 3>generally we meet once a week on a Monday. We

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<v Speaker 3>meet outside Waitrose opposite the library and we walk for

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<v Speaker 3>an hour.

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<v Speaker 4>Right, so that's about two miles.

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<v Speaker 2>So how long have you been associated with them since

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<v Speaker 2>the beginning?

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<v Speaker 1>Oh?

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<v Speaker 2>Right, so, oh you've been there from day one?

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<v Speaker 4>Not quite but a couple of months after it set up.

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<v Speaker 2>Is there a cost involved?

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<v Speaker 4>Now? It's free to everybody.

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<v Speaker 3>The only cost on a Monday is that we do

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<v Speaker 3>go back to the community office for a coup of

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<v Speaker 3>tea afterwards, and we ask people to give us a

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<v Speaker 3>couple of pounds to cover the cost of hiring the

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<v Speaker 3>room and the cost of the tea and coffee.

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<v Speaker 2>So what level of fitness do you think is required

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<v Speaker 2>for these? Are they very difficult?

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<v Speaker 3>They're not difficult, sometimes being gilling and it's a little

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<v Speaker 3>bit more hilly than us. But we'll walk at a

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<v Speaker 3>pace that suits everybody, and if we people are a

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<v Speaker 3>little bit slower, then the front will stop for a

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<v Speaker 3>while and let them catch up and catch their breath

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<v Speaker 3>and then carry on.

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<v Speaker 4>So you need to be able to walk at.

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<v Speaker 3>A average pace, not speedy, for an hour.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, So are they apart from that, are there any

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<v Speaker 2>different lengths of I mean, do you do short walks.

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<v Speaker 3>And try to do short walks as a regular thing,

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<v Speaker 3>and that didn't take off. So if somebody wants a

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<v Speaker 3>shorter walk, then if they let us know, then perhaps

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<v Speaker 3>they can start off with the main group and then

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<v Speaker 3>turn back after a quarter of an hour with one

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<v Speaker 3>of the leaders, and then they would be walking for

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<v Speaker 3>half an hour or an hour and they can still

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<v Speaker 3>come back for a couple day afterwards.

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<v Speaker 2>So basically that the main walks.

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<v Speaker 4>Are an hour, yes they are.

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<v Speaker 2>So can you bring your dog along?

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<v Speaker 3>No, we've right from the beginning, we've had assistance dogs

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<v Speaker 3>only policy.

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<v Speaker 2>Uh huh. What about weather? If it's really chucking it down,

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<v Speaker 2>do you do you cancel?

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<v Speaker 3>Or well, if it's absolutely pouring down at the beginning

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<v Speaker 3>of the walk, then we would chat with the walkers

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<v Speaker 3>that have turned up see what they want to do.

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<v Speaker 3>If they want to go ahead, then we'll go ahead.

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<v Speaker 3>If they also are actually let's not, then again, well job,

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<v Speaker 3>we'll just go and have a cup of tea. We've

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<v Speaker 3>canceled occasionally when it's been extremely hot, so we're talking

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<v Speaker 3>over twenty five degrees, or when it's been too icy

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<v Speaker 3>and slippery underfoot that that makes it dangerous, it's dangerous falls.

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<v Speaker 2>Then so what about children? Are they welcome?

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<v Speaker 4>Yes, they're more than welcome. Obviously they'll have to come

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<v Speaker 4>with an adult.

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<v Speaker 3>On our website it does say what age, but generally

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<v Speaker 3>I think it's children under sixteen need to be accompanied

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<v Speaker 3>by an adult.

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<v Speaker 2>So do you have any vulnerable adults join in on

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<v Speaker 2>your walk?

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, we do, and we accommodate them. If they require

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<v Speaker 3>any support, as in a person or some sort of equipment,

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<v Speaker 3>then obviously they need to bring that with them and

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<v Speaker 3>they need to be able to walk the distance.

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<v Speaker 4>But we'll accommodate their speed.

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<v Speaker 2>So are there a list of dates and times for

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<v Speaker 2>your walks or is it literally every Monday?

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<v Speaker 4>It's every Monday.

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<v Speaker 3>The exception is that over Christmas we did cancel a

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<v Speaker 3>couple of weeks to give the leaders a bit of

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<v Speaker 3>a break, and we never walk if Christmas Day is

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<v Speaker 3>a Monday.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, So I understand you're actually looking for volunteer leaders.

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<v Speaker 4>We are.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, We've been running for a long time and we've

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<v Speaker 3>had various leaders along the way, and some have started

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<v Speaker 3>and stopped and some have given up for various reasons.

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<v Speaker 3>And at the moment we haven't got as many leaders

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<v Speaker 3>as we would like. So we've recruited from among our

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<v Speaker 3>walking group, but exhausted that possibility. There's nobody that's walking

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<v Speaker 3>at the moment who would like to be a leader,

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<v Speaker 3>So now we are looking through people outside who think

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<v Speaker 3>that that might suit them. The commitment is as much

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<v Speaker 3>as little as you like, so you could lead, I

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<v Speaker 3>don't know, one Monday a month or one Monday in

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<v Speaker 3>say three months. It's good for all sorts of things

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<v Speaker 3>that the medical profession now are suggesting. So it's good

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<v Speaker 3>for your physical health obviously, because you're getting out of

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<v Speaker 3>the pressure because for your mental health as.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, you're socializing with other people.

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<v Speaker 3>You're getting out and seeing a bit of nature, you're

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<v Speaker 3>getting a bit of exercise, and if you become a leader,

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<v Speaker 3>then you're learning a new skill. It's not very taxing,

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<v Speaker 3>but it's still a new skill. And these are all

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<v Speaker 3>things that are being recommended.

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<v Speaker 2>So what's involved in actually being a leader.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, we do ask.

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<v Speaker 3>Our leaders to go to a short training program which

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<v Speaker 3>is only two or three hours on one day and

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<v Speaker 3>it can be done face to face in a group,

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<v Speaker 3>and it can be done online. There's currently a group

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<v Speaker 3>that's being held on the twenty eighth of January, so

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<v Speaker 3>it's not too late for somebody to say now that

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<v Speaker 3>they would like to go along. And if it's not

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<v Speaker 3>for them, well it's not for them. There's no charge

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<v Speaker 3>for the training. It is free by Dorset Council. Is

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<v Speaker 3>it locally Yes, it's in Gillingham. It's at the community church.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, So if people are interested, how long do they contact?

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<v Speaker 4>Perhaps they could give me a ring.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm on Gillingham I one seven four seven eight two

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<v Speaker 3>three seven seven four.

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<v Speaker 2>And I understand oh.

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<v Speaker 5>Full details on the website details of the training are

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<v Speaker 5>on the Dorset Health Walks website because we work closely

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<v Speaker 5>with them, and there are two other groups locally.

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<v Speaker 3>One is in walks on a Tuesday along the same

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<v Speaker 3>lines as Hours and one is in Shastbury and they

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<v Speaker 3>have various walks, different lengths, different days and we all

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<v Speaker 3>liaise and they would like leaders as well in facts.

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<v Speaker 3>So with a Tuesday, since you better than the Monday,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, speak up and perhaps Tuesday.

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<v Speaker 2>Through the Dorset.

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<v Speaker 4>It's on the if you've googled Dorset.

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<v Speaker 3>Health Walks then you will find it there and if not,

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<v Speaker 3>give me a ring and.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll well, it's great to talk to you this morning.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks very much for your time.

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<v Speaker 4>Thank you very much. Ray.

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<v Speaker 1>If you're a member of a group or organization that

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<v Speaker 1>would like to be featured on the future Killing and podcast,

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<v Speaker 1>then you can email me at Killing the Podcast at

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<v Speaker 1>gmail dot com. Thanks for listening.