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New Heritage walks aim to get Blackburn Fitter for Walking

New Heritage walks aim to get Blackburn Fitter for Walking

Local residents and theatre enthusiasts will be teaming up with National charity Living Streets to take part in a series of organised walks as part of the charities Fitter for Walking project.

Living Streets fitter for walking

 

Living Streets launched the Fitter for Walking project in Blackburn in 2008 to help residents create streets they can be proud of.  With funding from the Big Lottery Fund and in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council  the heritage walks will take in the area in and around Ewood and Livesey and will kick start a series of walks led by local people themselves in the coming months.

On the 7th May Bernard Kennedy, Fitter for Walking Coordinator, will be leading the walks along with the Blackburn Civic Society who will be providing some of the background information to the theatres history. Bernard has been part of the team of volunteers who have researched into the lives of the theatres founders and discovered that they all lived within a square mile of the theatre. The walks will encourage local residents to get to learn more about their local area as well as encouraging the community to come together and using the local spaces for walking.

Residents are welcome to join in on the first walk on the 7th May

Meet at: Outside Thwaites Empire Theatre Bolton Rd Blackburn.BB2 4HT at 10.30 am

Everyone who attends the first walk will receive their own copy of the map to repeat the walk and share with friends. Bernard added "Each time I lead this walk, people add a new story and insight into the history of the building and its past. It has provided me with lots of stories to share with all those who attend"

People and Picture Houses Centenary Walk

 

 

Fitter for Walking is part of a group of projects that will be helping 2 million people nationwide become more physically active, by regularly walking or cycling as part of their daily lives.  It is funded by the Big Lottery Fund's Wellbeing Programme. Blackburn with Darwen Council and Capita are official partners in the Fitter for Walking project - a fantastic move that shows they are eager to work together with Living Streets and residents to improve their streets and encourage people to get walking locally. This partnership approach is vital in making sure that the project can make a real difference over the four year duration.

Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets, said:

"We are really excited to be leading some taster walks in Blackburn and hope that we can encourage all those involved to continue walking more as a result of the walking programme. There are so many benefits to walking, not just to make the roads less congested and polluted, but to develop more of a community as you get to know your local area better.

"We are told all the time that we need to be more active, but it doesn't have to be hard - making small changes to your everyday routine, such as having a brisk walk can work wonders in transforming your health."

Local residents can get in touch with Bernard

by calling 0759 048494

or emailing bernard.kennedy@livingstreets.org.uk

 

Release Date:  Wednesday 21 April 2010