Step Forth is a local walking for health initiative that is funded by Paths to Health. Paths to Health provide funding and training, they also support local walking for health schemes across Scotland.
The aim of Step Forth is to get more people active within their own communities especially those who take little physical activity or live in areas of poor health. It is aimed at all ages, abilities and is free and accessible.
Step Forth has links with; Active Forth that covers Falkirk District, Braveheart|, Keep Ticking, Falkirk District Association for Mental Health, Waterways Trust, the up and coming Helix and Falkirk Council Rangers Services.
Over the next three years Step Forth has been funded by Paths to Health to set up health walks in 6 new Falkirk Council areas. The areas will be: Carronshore, Airth, Hallglen, Maddiston, Langlees and the Braes villages of Redding, Laurieston, Westquarter and California.
Feel free to have a look at our Photo Gallery.|
These are our current walks:
Grangemouth
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Day
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Time
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Monday
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10.00am
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Wednesday
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10.00am
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Both walks leave from the Community Education unit at Grangemouth Sports Complex.
Bo'ness
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Day
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Time
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Wednesday
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10.00am
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Friday
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10.00am
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Both walks leave from the Bo'ness Recreation Centre.
Bo'ness (Kinneil Estate)
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Day
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Time
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Monday
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10.30am
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Tuesday
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2.00pm
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Thursday
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10.30am
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All walks leave from Kinneil Museum.
Bo'ness (foreshore)
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Day
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Time
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Monday (Summer months only)
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7pm
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All walks leave from the car park accross from the Post Office.
Carronshore
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Day
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Time
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Tuesday
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10.00am
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Wednesday (Summer months only)
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6.45pm
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Thursday
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1.30pm
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Saturday (Winter months only)
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10.00am
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All walks leave from Carronshore Community Centre.
If you prefer to walk independently then you may like to try Footsteps in the park, Zetland Park, Grangemouth. There are two routes marked by bright yellow footsteps and a sign giving the benefits of walking. The short route is 1.2km and the longer is 2km. This has been such a success that we plan to take Footsteps in the park to 2 other locations in Falkirk.
Step Forth also has walking packs with eight easy to follow maps. These can be picked up at any of the Circuit Health and Fitness Clubs.
What next for Step Forth?
The Big Fit Walk is an event which has been run annually for the last five years in the Falkirk area. The NHS and Falkirk Council Services support this event as part of their strategies to promote physical activity.
The aim of the event is to raise awareness of the benefits of walking by involving as many people as possible in a 30min walk on the day of the event. Most schools, organisations and workplaces have taken part in the last five years. This years Big Fit Walk was bigger than ever with over 5000 people walking. Next years Big Fit Walk is on the 12th of June 2009, we are hoping by taking our idea to the annual Paths to Health Conference, other schemes like us, will promote this walk and it will become a national event.
We are working on a new project called Walk the Block. Four 35-45 minutes urban walks have been designed in the Grangemouth area. Local school children have helped to design a leaflet with the health benefits of walking and all the routes, we hope that this will encourage friends and family to use the routes. This will be up and running by the spring of 2009 and if successful we will use the same idea in other parts of Falkirk.
To make our scheme successful we are looking for volunteers who will be trained and supported
If you would like to be a volunteer, please contact Barbara McConnell on:
Tel: 01324 504568 or 01324 504556
Email: barbara.mcconnell@falkirk.gov.uk| or step.forth@falkirk.gov.uk|