Subitha Baghirathan, a health improvement activist working with visibly minority ethnic communities since 2015, and Vicky Welsh, a Nordic Walking National Trainer, met at a Healthier with Nature event in June 2021. This event was the first information session on the new Green Social Prescribing Programme in Bristol. Together, they felt strongly that Nordic walking could support physical and mental health improvements in ethnically diverse communities. They decided to merge their collective expertise and visions, forming Let’s Walk Bristol CIC.
They developed a model of community Nordic Walking Wellness Programmes aimed at encouraging more people, particularly those from African, Caribbean, South Asian, and other minority ethnic communities in England, to improve their mental and physical health and feel a sense of belonging in Bristol’s parks and green spaces. Let’s Walk Bristol is working diligently to become embedded in the health system. They have built upon Subitha’s existing strong links with a few local GP surgeries, such as East Trees, by delivering Nordic Walking Wellness Programmes for their patients in parks in central and east Bristol, like Eastville Park. They also liaise with community groups led by and for local visibly minority ethnic people, such as the Bangladesh Association, Chinese Elders Club, and Nilaari, to encourage referrals. Self-referrals are also accepted for their classes, always prioritizing first places for visibly minority ethnic people and individuals living with long-term health conditions, such as sickle cell anaemia, arthritis, and lung conditions.
They supported the NHS Integrated Care Board diabetes prevention programme, trialling a bespoke course in Barton Hill in 2022. They also started a programme for people aged 70+ supported by The Grateful Society. Now, they offer classes in multiple green spaces across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, collaborating with various health and wellbeing organizations, including Soultrail Wellbeing CIC and the South Gloucestershire Race Equality Network.
An essential part of Let’s Walk Bristol’s model focuses on training Nordic Walking instructors representative of the communities they work in. This aims to invest in those communities, leave a legacy for their programmes in the face of small-scale, short-term funding, and enable agentic, diverse Nordic Walking communities. To date, they have developed and trained a team of 7 instructors from diverse communities across Bristol and South Gloucestershire to ensure Nordic walking is accessible to those who need it most.
An example of how Let’s Walk Bristol’s sustainable vision has been put into practice is the Page Park Polers in Staple Hill. The Nordic walking programme was very well attended, often with 15-20 students in the weekly class taught by Subitha and Let’s Walk Bristol walk leader, Fred. There was enthusiasm from members to continue beyond Let’s Walk Bristol’s planned time there. Subitha supported the Friends of Page Park to apply for funding so that the group could continue to Nordic Walk on a weekly basis. There is now a newly qualified instructor with 2 walk leaders teaching the newly named Page Park Nordic Walkers.