Sue Holden, of Exe Nordic Walking, has been creating local connections to build her Nordic Walking business and help the community. She says,
‘Getting Fitter Picking Litter’ and ‘Pickers and Poles’ have been the tag lines for our first two events in conjunction with the charity GoodGym. Klara and I met at Parkrun last year when she was setting up the Exeter Branch of GoodGym. We discussed how great working together would be, one day.
Our opportunity arose in July when Klara got in touch asking if we fancied joining GoodGym for a litter pick. Due to Covid-19, GoodGym has had to pivot their way of working, as many of us have. We arranged a date for our first Community Mission. Runners and Nordic Walkers met in a park near the River Exe for a well organised, socially distanced, small group pick litter. Our second Community Mission was carried out in King George V Playing Fields, the park where we learn Nordic Walking technique. Both missions were a great success clearing bags of rubbish making community parks and open spaces tidier.
What a great way to give something back to our local community, meet like minded people, work with our community, move more, outside, making friends during physical activity. We plan to meet up at least once a month to litter pick in our green spaces.
To find your local GoodGym visit their website https://www.goodgym.org/.
You don’t have be a runner to ‘Do good, Get fit’ in your community, you can be a Nordic Walker.
Sue Holden, Exe Nordic Walking, Exeter, Devon.