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<v Speaker 1>Hello.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm Ray Lee and this is the Gillingham Podcast for

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<v Speaker 2>anyone living in the Gillingham and Spa area. I'm talking

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<v Speaker 2>to Martin Sharp, who's the festival coordinator of the Giving

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<v Speaker 2>A Walking Festival. Tell us a bit about the festival.

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<v Speaker 1>Martin.

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<v Speaker 3>The Gillingham Walking Festival, which has been running for over

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<v Speaker 3>twenty years now runs this year from the twenty ninth

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<v Speaker 3>of August through to the fifth of September, and it's

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<v Speaker 3>a series of walks every day and it provides an

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<v Speaker 3>opportunity for people from Gillingham and the wider area and

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<v Speaker 3>in need further afield to enjoy a relaxed and comfortable

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<v Speaker 3>walk of varying distances throughout the week.

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<v Speaker 1>So how many members do you have in total? Roughly?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, it's not a membership organization as such. We are

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<v Speaker 3>connected with Walkers are Welcome. It's under the umbrella of

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<v Speaker 3>Walkers are Welcome, which people just attend. We have no subscription,

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<v Speaker 3>there's no fees and we have a small committee of

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<v Speaker 3>five or six people that organize the Walking Festival. But

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<v Speaker 3>it's not a membership organization so it's open to all.

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<v Speaker 3>What sort of level of fitness is required do you

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<v Speaker 3>think for these sort of walks, we have for each

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<v Speaker 3>day two walks. In general terms. The walk that starts

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<v Speaker 3>in the morning is of a longer length, up to

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<v Speaker 3>ten miles.

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<v Speaker 1>Ten miles is the outside and.

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<v Speaker 3>Those will normally involve crossing fields, climbing over stiles, and

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<v Speaker 3>a little bit more mobility needed for those walks, but

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<v Speaker 3>nothing that a person of average fitness could manage. It's

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<v Speaker 3>not rushed, it's not a high pace event, so relatively straightforward,

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<v Speaker 3>but obviously that requires decent nobility. And then most afternoons

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<v Speaker 3>we have a shorter walk, which is three up to

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<v Speaker 3>three miles or so, sometimes a little bit shorter, only

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<v Speaker 3>a mile or so, and that's pretty much in the

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<v Speaker 3>getting immediate environs. And they tend to be level walks

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<v Speaker 3>at a very easy pace, so people that would find

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<v Speaker 3>those longer walks of struggle. I think most people would

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<v Speaker 3>find it's like a walk to the shops in terms

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<v Speaker 3>of the level of fitness required. But it's in company

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<v Speaker 3>with people and you can and I think one of

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<v Speaker 3>the great things about going walking in a group is

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<v Speaker 3>it's a very non threatening, very easy environment. Because you're

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<v Speaker 3>standing side by side with somebody, you're in nature you're

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<v Speaker 3>in the environment, you just go at your pace. If

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<v Speaker 3>you don't want to talk or engage with anybody, you

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<v Speaker 3>want to walk in isolation. That's perfectly okay and people

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<v Speaker 3>pretty soon get their message. But most people enjoy a

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<v Speaker 3>very friendly, relaxed conversation as they're walking along, talking about

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<v Speaker 3>anything they see.

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<v Speaker 1>Also, I would imagine it's pretty good for mental health.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, it is because it's the opportunity to get out

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<v Speaker 3>in the fresh air, enjoy our beautiful countryside that we

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<v Speaker 3>have surrounding this here in Gillingham, and yes, to spend

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<v Speaker 3>some time with other people who are generally speaking in

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<v Speaker 3>a very mellow, relaxed mood as they're walking along.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's a very easy thing to do. And I'm

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<v Speaker 1>not just looking at your pamphlet for this year's festival.

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<v Speaker 1>The walk's all graded.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, we have a grading system for the walks on

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<v Speaker 3>the difficulty that tends to reflect combination of both length

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<v Speaker 3>of walk and the obstacles that we might encounter. So

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<v Speaker 3>we have a boot system. One, two or three boots

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<v Speaker 3>is how we grade them. The one boot being the

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<v Speaker 3>mostly level walks it's a very relaxed pace over a

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<v Speaker 3>short distance, and then three being the longer walks that

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<v Speaker 3>iniably will almost always involve styles uneven terrain, often some hills,

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<v Speaker 3>and the two is in between the two in between

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<v Speaker 3>those two.

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<v Speaker 2>So if people want to join in this this year,

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<v Speaker 2>could they bring their dogs along?

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<v Speaker 3>There are we've identified in the program. People need to

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<v Speaker 3>find the program to see which walks they wish to join,

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<v Speaker 3>and it states in there whether dogs are welcome. It's

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<v Speaker 3>to be honest, it's a minority of walks where dogs

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<v Speaker 3>are welcome because obviously having a dog can be a

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<v Speaker 3>bit of an encumbrance for some, and there are there

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<v Speaker 3>are other walkers who don't like the presence of dogs.

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<v Speaker 3>So so we've we've got I think three or maybe

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<v Speaker 3>four of the walks dogs are welcome.

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<v Speaker 2>Imagine at the moment, with the heat as it is,

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<v Speaker 2>it's not advisable to bring a.

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<v Speaker 3>Dog out, well, it wouldn't be with it now. I

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<v Speaker 3>think most dog owners would know, we would know not

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<v Speaker 3>to take their dogs out in the in the thirties.

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<v Speaker 3>Of course, we're talking about early the end of August,

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<v Speaker 3>early September, and the weather. Over the years we've been

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<v Speaker 3>doing it's highly changeable. We've had one three years ago,

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<v Speaker 3>I think it was now where we got temperatures well

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<v Speaker 3>into the thirties. That was an exceptional September, so weather

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<v Speaker 3>much as we've been having of late, and that's that's challenging.

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<v Speaker 1>Two years ago.

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<v Speaker 3>It was absolutely pouring with rain almost every day. So

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<v Speaker 3>you still go out in the rain. We have done.

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<v Speaker 3>Obviously those people can not come along, and that was

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<v Speaker 3>the case. We had lower attendance, but the walk leaders

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<v Speaker 3>were still let's say, happy to go. That might be

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<v Speaker 3>overstating it. Contempt to go along, fulfill their commitment to

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<v Speaker 3>those people who wanted to Like children, can they come along? Yes,

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<v Speaker 3>children are welcome. We tend not to get.

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<v Speaker 1>That many children.

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<v Speaker 3>The week we've got is the start of school typically,

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<v Speaker 3>but weekends children are welcome to come along. And those

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<v Speaker 3>perhaps their school starts a little later, it deny for

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<v Speaker 3>them to join us, and of course good for their

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<v Speaker 3>well being and health too.

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<v Speaker 1>What about vulnerable adults people would.

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<v Speaker 3>Left, Yes, and we have had a number of vulnerable adults,

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<v Speaker 3>whether it's obviously where those that have a care or

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<v Speaker 3>benefit from having a care, then the care is more

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<v Speaker 3>than welcome to come along, and it would be super

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<v Speaker 3>for vulnerable adults to join us. For all the good

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<v Speaker 3>reasons that you've already discussed about being in outdoors talking

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<v Speaker 3>in a very relaxed way to other people.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not challenging.

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<v Speaker 3>Nobody's sort of accountable for how they present themselves. What

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<v Speaker 3>I'm struck by on these walks that we do is

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<v Speaker 3>what a friendly environment it is.

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<v Speaker 1>And most people share that absolutely. That's nice.

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<v Speaker 2>So if people are interested in joining or coming along

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<v Speaker 2>on any of the walks, where can they get this

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<v Speaker 2>lovely pamphlet from and information about it?

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<v Speaker 3>Outlets across gettingham So, coffee shops, the library, the railway station,

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<v Speaker 3>all the places that you might expect to pick up

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<v Speaker 3>local information. Where we distributed our leaflet I think we

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<v Speaker 3>had over a thousand of them produced. I noticed yesterday

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<v Speaker 3>that the library had run out, so we've restarted, re

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<v Speaker 3>stopped the library. That's encouraging, and that sets out the

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<v Speaker 3>program and which walks require booking, which again is a minority.

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<v Speaker 3>We do ask, but that's because there's a limit on numbers.

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<v Speaker 3>So the walk leaders on those particular walks are concerned

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<v Speaker 3>that if I had a group but size of say

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<v Speaker 3>larger than twenty, it might become difficult to manage road

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<v Speaker 3>crossings and things like that.

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<v Speaker 2>So if people got any specific questions, how can they

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<v Speaker 2>contact There's a telephone number.

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<v Speaker 3>There are two telephone numbers in the leaflet and they're

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<v Speaker 3>welcome to call. They can call me, or they can

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<v Speaker 3>call our Penny, who takes the bookings, who runs the

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<v Speaker 3>walk coordinates to the walkers are welcome page, so the

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<v Speaker 3>phone numbers are in there. Please feel free to call

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<v Speaker 3>me or Penny any.

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<v Speaker 1>Reasonable time the day before evening.

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<v Speaker 2>That's great, and I almost assuming that you're you look

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<v Speaker 2>for looking for volunteers time to help walk leaders.

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<v Speaker 3>We would love to have a few more walk leaders

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<v Speaker 3>come along. If some of us have been doing it

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<v Speaker 3>for quite a number of years now and we're relying

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<v Speaker 3>on the star Wars. But some of the walk leaders

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<v Speaker 3>have been doing this for twenty years and they started

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<v Speaker 3>when they retired, so as you can imagine a few

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<v Speaker 3>of them are getting on a bit and might be

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<v Speaker 3>ready to hand over the pattern two younger volunteers who

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<v Speaker 3>have just entered the retirement or just thinking about retiring

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<v Speaker 3>and thinking, yes, this is the kind of thing I

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<v Speaker 3>could do. It's not very onerous. We will try to

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<v Speaker 3>we can try to arrange, will arrange training just on

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<v Speaker 3>some of the things to be aware of risk assessments

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<v Speaker 3>about taking care of people, that sort of thing. It's

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<v Speaker 3>not anous training thing. Much of it is what we

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<v Speaker 3>would call good old fashion common sense, but it's useful

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<v Speaker 3>to go through a few points any and so if

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<v Speaker 3>people are interested in becoming a leader or getting involved,

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<v Speaker 3>can they phone you or Penny and Peny and me

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<v Speaker 3>other contacts that they can use and we'll be very

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<v Speaker 3>happy to to add them to the number of things.

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<v Speaker 3>Probably the best way of going about that would be

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<v Speaker 3>to join our Saturday walks, which happened throughout the year

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<v Speaker 3>the first Saturday of each month. We vary it sometimes

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<v Speaker 3>in December, the last Saturday in November occasionally, so the

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<v Speaker 3>first Saturday of each month we gather for a two

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<v Speaker 3>hour walk. Starts in the mornings during the winter time

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<v Speaker 3>and in the afternoon in the summer, and that's a

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<v Speaker 3>great experience to see what it walks are all about.

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<v Speaker 1>And usually we have.

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<v Speaker 3>Fifteen to twenty, sometimes up to thirty people going on

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<v Speaker 3>those walks and they're in the Gillingham local area. Another

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<v Speaker 3>interesting aspect of that and the Walking Festival is how

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<v Speaker 3>many local people suddenly goffer parts of their local air I've.

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<v Speaker 4>Never seen, they're not previously seen, so it's an interesting

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<v Speaker 4>thing to do and it introduces people to new walks

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<v Speaker 4>that they might not otherwise have discovered.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that's great. Thanks having so much for your time

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<v Speaker 1>and good luck on.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you very much for it's been a pleasure to

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<v Speaker 3>speak to you and thanks for the opportunity to talk

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<v Speaker 3>more about the Gillingham Walking Festival.

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<v Speaker 2>For more information on the Gillingham Walking Festival, telephone O

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<v Speaker 2>double seven three one four six eight four two eight. Alternatively,

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<v Speaker 2>you can contact Penny Pete on one seven four seven

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<v Speaker 2>eight two three double seven four. There is also a

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<v Speaker 2>website www dot gil Walkers are Welcome dot chess c K.

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<v Speaker 2>That's c H. E. Doubles ck dot co dot UK

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<v Speaker 2>forward slash Gillingham Walkers. If you're a member of a

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<v Speaker 2>group or organization would like to be featured on a

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<v Speaker 2>future Gillingham podcast, you can email me on Gillingham Podcast

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<v Speaker 2>at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening.