GM Walking are inviting people, groups and community organisations to get involved with the Greater Manchester Walking Festival held during May 2020.
The 2020 Greater Manchester Walking Festival is all about the joy and fun of walking. The festival aims to celebrate walking, places to walk and people to walk with, and appeal to a range of audiences. The idea is that there will be walks across the whole of Greater Manchester with a varied mix of ‘interest’ walks.
Youth groups, ‘friends of’ groups, sports clubs, faith groups, social clubs or local charities are encouraged to plan a walk that will appeal to your community, and may encourage people who are not regularly active or are inactive to take part. Families are also encouragedto join the walks. It is hoped that the Festival can be a catalyst for more walking to take place as part of regular activities offered through community groups, and attract people new to walking to join in.
To achieve this GM Walking are:
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Asking for a high proportion of the walks in the Festival to start in areas where inactivity levels are high (see attached map and ward list below)
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Inviting walk organisers to create themed walks or walks with a ‘point of interest’
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Promoting the Festival through localised distribution of a MEN Festival supplement, targeted social media, community groups promoting their walks to their own communities as well as GM scale promotion.
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Signposting people to the routes and group information on our website to encourage people to get involved with walking all year round
Small grants are available to community groups working in the red and orange areas on the map below (also see attached ward list) to plan and promote a walk for their target community. GM Walking are offering £250 per walk, or £500 if walking is offered as a key part offered as part of a wider community event. Some support around planning and leading a walk can be provided if required.
These walks can be solely promoted by you to your audiences, or you can chose to publish your walk on the Festival website so that anyone looking for a walk can find the details and come along. It’s up to you.
In return GM Walking need to know how many people took part, if they were from your target audience and how active they had been. They are also interested to know how your idea came about and your walk was delivered.
If you would like to get involved, please start planning your walk!
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Talk to your committees, your community, the people involved with your organisation and find out who can help and what ideas you may have
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Plan a walk using some of the tips on the attached guidance notes.
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Apply for some funding using the attached application form if it would help you deliver your walking idea. All applications for funding need to be with us by Sunday 9th February 2020.
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Submit details of your walks to us using the template on the website gmwalking.co.uk/festival by Sunday 9th February 2020.
If you have any queries, please contact the GM Walking team to chat through your ideas.
