Campaign aims to get Hartlepool people walking

Campaigners say Hartlepool has among the lowest level of people who walk regularly and are targeting the town in a bid to boost people’s health.

May 2016 is National Walking Month, run by Living Streets, the UK charity dedicated to getting people walking.

The campaign aims to get people walking for 20 minutes a day, which is 150 minutes a week, in line with NHS recommendations to offset serious health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes and to improve happiness and wellbeing.

Campaigners want people aged from 45 to 60, from Hartlepool and East Durham, to contact them so they can track their progress.

They also want to hear from readers who have taken up walking recently and have seen improvements in their life.

A spokesman for Living Streets said: “Hartlepool has one of the lowest rates of walking in the nation.

“Living Streets wants to hear from readers aged between 45 and 60 years old who are looking to challenge themselves in the New Year by walking for 20 minutes each day and tracking their progress.

“Living Streets will support you through the process and give lots of handy hints and tips on how to bring walking easily into your everyday life.

“The charity are also looking for any readers who have taken up walking in the last year and seen significant benefits from walking more such as weight loss, new friends or new romance, or improvements to mental health and state of mind.”

Anyone who is interested in joining the programme should email Heather McLeod at: [email protected]