Our History
2001 -2011
In early 2001, Martin Fearnley in his role as recently appointed Healthy Communities Co-ordinator for Prestatyn Town Council, proposed a local Walking for Health Scheme. Walking was seen as playing an increasingly bigger role in creating a healthier nation with growing evidence showing its many benefits. Martin submitted a successful grant application to the Countryside Council for Wales. It was agreed that a joint initiative involving the British Heart Foundation be explored locally, with funding made available to research and identify the need.
In April 2001 Martin held preliminary talks with Johnathon Hughes, owner of a local health club called Tri Fitness in Meliden which led to a photo shoot and launch in July 2001. Throughout the summer of 2001 walking started from Tri Fitness with one walk per week led by Neil Hughes.
The first walk leaders training course was held at Tri Fitness on 6th October 2001. The trainer was Phil Oakley of Dawn Associates with potential leaders Martin Fearnley, Margaret Jones, Bryn & Marlene Jones, Debbie Hughes, Johnathon Hughes, Donna Hughes-Jones, Ann Walsh and Paul taking part.
Another successful grant application was made to the Welsh Assembly Inequalities in Health Fund in early 2002 and a seven-year Healthy Communities Programme commenced in April 2002 and by May fourteen Volunteer Walk Leaders had been registered.
A self-help booklet designed by Jonathon Hughes was produced in July 2002 detailing 16 local walking routes and descriptions. An “Open Week” was held to promote the concept of local walking and identify the need. As a result, further walk routes from the NOVA and Graig Park were added to the programme. The number of people registering on walks in the first year was 836 with a total of nearly 20,000 in the first ten years.
The launch of the Clwydian Way took place in September 2004 followed by the first Walking Festival held in Prestatyn on 28th May 2005 to coincide the new Countryside Open Access Rights of Way legislation.
Martin Fearnley and Nigel Acott presented details of Prestatyn’s Walking for Health scheme to Rhodri Morgan, Wales First Minister in April 2006 who was keenly interested and in full support of the initiative.
The You’ll Never Walk Alone Volunteers was set up as a fully constituted voluntary group in October 2006 and Malcolm Wilkinson was the first Chair with Martin as part time scheme co-ordinator, initially paid for eight hours per week with funding secured from the Sports Council of Wales.
Up to 150 volunteer Walk Leaders have attended training sessions over the past 22 years. Malcolm Wilkinson successfully completed an intensive three-day training course in presented by Fitness Wales in 2004 and was accredited as a Volunteer Walk leader Trainer. Malcolm continues to offer training of potential walk leaders working closely with Ramblers Cymru who provide help with resources. In the first ten years nearly 20,000 walkers had registered on the eight walks offered by the scheme.
Nordic walking was introduced into the programme in 2010 as it was thought it would bring some variety to the weekly programme and benefit people who may have difficulty with their stability. Arthur Frost, Nual Roberts and Debbie Hughes were externally trained as Nordic Walk Instructors. The weekly Nordic Walk went from strength to strength with poles purchased for hiring out to people who didn’t have their own.
This brief history relates to the first 10 years and a further chapter will be added to cover the period 2011-2021 and beyond at some point in the future.
