Coast Path Connectors Torbay Celebrates its 100th Walk

The Coast Path Connectors project is so much more than ‘going for a walk’. Not that going for a walk for walking’s sake isn’t a fantastic thing to do in itself, just that it’s a pleasure that so many struggle to enjoy. It is for this reason that Coast Path Connectors around the South West are going out into the community, meeting those who have barriers to getting active and then creating bespoke walking groups that directly address as many of those barriers as possible. The result has been heart-warming.

Torbay Coast Path Connectors Project – Past to Present

Starting back in May 2023, CPC in Torbay spent 3 months building a volunteer team and making strong connections across Torbay. We started walking in September, tentatively taking our first steps, so to speak. It’s required great flexibility in how the walks look, some patience and imagination, and it’s required commitment, but in the end, the relationships built are what has enabled the groups we’ve established to succeed.

*Walk with Brixham Theatre Volunteers in Clennon Valley*

In the 9 months since then, we’ve set up 8 walking groups, 6 of which have been walking regularly. We’ve welcomed hundreds of walkers and the ten-strong volunteer team have helped deliver 100 walks.

Celebrating Torbay’s 100th Walk

The 28th June saw us head out on our 100th walk as a project, this time along Babbacombe Down and over to Walls Hill. We were with a group of extremely strong and resilient cancer survivors from The Lodge at Torbay Hospital. The group is mostly made up of regular attendees who really value the opportunity for supportive exercise, fresh air and great views, but also, for peer support and a safe space in which to share their experiences of living with the condition.

“Coast Path Connectors Walks are definitely a little more than ‘just a walk’ and I’m proud that Torbay has reached it’s centenary walk so soon.”

We enjoyed wonderful wildflowers and learnt about edible plants as we walked along the Walls Hill area, and then walkers choose to open up to each other about their experiences of surgery whilst enjoying a cuppa and a piece of celebratory cake. One walker commented that “THIS is my therapy”. Coast Path Connectors Walks are definitely a little more than ‘just a walk’ and I’m proud that Torbay has reached it’s centenary walk so soon. Massive thank you to the whole team!

Blog written by Stuart Riddle (Torbay CPC Project Officer).

Stuart will be leaving The South West Coast Path Association in early July 2024 to start an exciting new community engagement role in the area. SWCPA want to thank him for his amazing commitment, enthusiasm and skills in development of the Torbay Coast Path Connectors hub over the last 15 months. We will miss you, and wish you all the best for your next challenge. As such, we will be having a pause from walks in Torbay for six weeks over the school summer holidays and the SWCPA team will be back in Torbay in September continuing to support our volunteers and new walkers.