Speaker 1: Hello. I'm Ray Lee and this is the Gillingham Podcast
Speaker 1: for anyone living in the Gillingham and Spa area.
Speaker 2: I'm talking to Penny Pete, who's the organizer of the
Speaker 2: Gillingham Walkers. Tell us a bit about the gilling And Walkers, Penny.
Speaker 3: While, we're a group that meets generally once a week
Speaker 3: to walk sociably and at a pace.
Speaker 4: That suits all.
Speaker 3: We set up twenty one years ago now, oh really,
Speaker 3: so it's been running for a while. We meet Gillingham
Speaker 3: and we also have a long walk that meets in
Speaker 3: other places, but I'll cover that in a minute. But
Speaker 3: generally we meet once a week on a Monday. We
Speaker 3: meet outside Waitrose opposite the library and we walk for
Speaker 3: an hour.
Speaker 4: Right, so that's about two miles.
Speaker 2: So how long have you been associated with them since
Speaker 2: the beginning?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 2: Right, so, oh you've been there from day one?
Speaker 4: Not quite but a couple of months after it set up.
Speaker 2: Is there a cost involved?
Speaker 4: Now? It's free to everybody.
Speaker 3: The only cost on a Monday is that we do
Speaker 3: go back to the community office for a coup of
Speaker 3: tea afterwards, and we ask people to give us a
Speaker 3: couple of pounds to cover the cost of hiring the
Speaker 3: room and the cost of the tea and coffee.
Speaker 2: So what level of fitness do you think is required
Speaker 2: for these? Are they very difficult?
Speaker 3: They're not difficult, sometimes being gilling and it's a little
Speaker 3: bit more hilly than us. But we'll walk at a
Speaker 3: pace that suits everybody, and if we people are a
Speaker 3: little bit slower, then the front will stop for a
Speaker 3: while and let them catch up and catch their breath
Speaker 3: and then carry on.
Speaker 4: So you need to be able to walk at.
Speaker 3: A average pace, not speedy, for an hour.
Speaker 2: Right, So are they apart from that, are there any
Speaker 2: different lengths of I mean, do you do short walks.
Speaker 3: And try to do short walks as a regular thing,
Speaker 3: and that didn't take off. So if somebody wants a
Speaker 3: shorter walk, then if they let us know, then perhaps
Speaker 3: they can start off with the main group and then
Speaker 3: turn back after a quarter of an hour with one
Speaker 3: of the leaders, and then they would be walking for
Speaker 3: half an hour or an hour and they can still
Speaker 3: come back for a couple day afterwards.
Speaker 2: So basically that the main walks.
Speaker 4: Are an hour, yes they are.
Speaker 2: So can you bring your dog along?
Speaker 3: No, we've right from the beginning, we've had assistance dogs
Speaker 3: only policy.
Speaker 2: Uh huh. What about weather? If it's really chucking it down,
Speaker 2: do you do you cancel?
Speaker 3: Or well, if it's absolutely pouring down at the beginning
Speaker 3: of the walk, then we would chat with the walkers
Speaker 3: that have turned up see what they want to do.
Speaker 3: If they want to go ahead, then we'll go ahead.
Speaker 3: If they also are actually let's not, then again, well job,
Speaker 3: we'll just go and have a cup of tea. We've
Speaker 3: canceled occasionally when it's been extremely hot, so we're talking
Speaker 3: over twenty five degrees, or when it's been too icy
Speaker 3: and slippery underfoot that that makes it dangerous, it's dangerous falls.
Speaker 2: Then so what about children? Are they welcome?
Speaker 4: Yes, they're more than welcome. Obviously they'll have to come
Speaker 4: with an adult.
Speaker 3: On our website it does say what age, but generally
Speaker 3: I think it's children under sixteen need to be accompanied
Speaker 3: by an adult.
Speaker 2: So do you have any vulnerable adults join in on
Speaker 2: your walk?
Speaker 3: Yes, we do, and we accommodate them. If they require
Speaker 3: any support, as in a person or some sort of equipment,
Speaker 3: then obviously they need to bring that with them and
Speaker 3: they need to be able to walk the distance.
Speaker 4: But we'll accommodate their speed.
Speaker 2: So are there a list of dates and times for
Speaker 2: your walks or is it literally every Monday?
Speaker 4: It's every Monday.
Speaker 3: The exception is that over Christmas we did cancel a
Speaker 3: couple of weeks to give the leaders a bit of
Speaker 3: a break, and we never walk if Christmas Day is
Speaker 3: a Monday.
Speaker 2: Right, So I understand you're actually looking for volunteer leaders.
Speaker 4: We are.
Speaker 3: Yes, We've been running for a long time and we've
Speaker 3: had various leaders along the way, and some have started
Speaker 3: and stopped and some have given up for various reasons.
Speaker 3: And at the moment we haven't got as many leaders
Speaker 3: as we would like. So we've recruited from among our
Speaker 3: walking group, but exhausted that possibility. There's nobody that's walking
Speaker 3: at the moment who would like to be a leader,
Speaker 3: So now we are looking through people outside who think
Speaker 3: that that might suit them. The commitment is as much
Speaker 3: as little as you like, so you could lead, I
Speaker 3: don't know, one Monday a month or one Monday in
Speaker 3: say three months. It's good for all sorts of things
Speaker 3: that the medical profession now are suggesting. So it's good
Speaker 3: for your physical health obviously, because you're getting out of
Speaker 3: the pressure because for your mental health as.
Speaker 4: Well, you're socializing with other people.
Speaker 3: You're getting out and seeing a bit of nature, you're
Speaker 3: getting a bit of exercise, and if you become a leader,
Speaker 3: then you're learning a new skill. It's not very taxing,
Speaker 3: but it's still a new skill. And these are all
Speaker 3: things that are being recommended.
Speaker 2: So what's involved in actually being a leader.
Speaker 4: Well, we do ask.
Speaker 3: Our leaders to go to a short training program which
Speaker 3: is only two or three hours on one day and
Speaker 3: it can be done face to face in a group,
Speaker 3: and it can be done online. There's currently a group
Speaker 3: that's being held on the twenty eighth of January, so
Speaker 3: it's not too late for somebody to say now that
Speaker 3: they would like to go along. And if it's not
Speaker 3: for them, well it's not for them. There's no charge
Speaker 3: for the training. It is free by Dorset Council. Is
Speaker 3: it locally Yes, it's in Gillingham. It's at the community church.
Speaker 2: Right, So if people are interested, how long do they contact?
Speaker 4: Perhaps they could give me a ring.
Speaker 3: I'm on Gillingham I one seven four seven eight two
Speaker 3: three seven seven four.
Speaker 2: And I understand oh.
Speaker 5: Full details on the website details of the training are
Speaker 5: on the Dorset Health Walks website because we work closely
Speaker 5: with them, and there are two other groups locally.
Speaker 3: One is in walks on a Tuesday along the same
Speaker 3: lines as Hours and one is in Shastbury and they
Speaker 3: have various walks, different lengths, different days and we all
Speaker 3: liaise and they would like leaders as well in facts.
Speaker 3: So with a Tuesday, since you better than the Monday,
Speaker 3: you know, speak up and perhaps Tuesday.
Speaker 2: Through the Dorset.
Speaker 4: It's on the if you've googled Dorset.
Speaker 3: Health Walks then you will find it there and if not,
Speaker 3: give me a ring and.
Speaker 2: I'll well, it's great to talk to you this morning.
Speaker 2: Thanks very much for your time.
Speaker 4: Thank you very much. Ray.
Speaker 1: If you're a member of a group or organization that
Speaker 1: would like to be featured on the future Killing and podcast,
Speaker 1: then you can email me at Killing the Podcast at
Speaker 1: gmail dot com. Thanks for listening.