Published Friday 19 March 2021 at 10:57
Take A Hike, a local wellbeing walking group set up last year by Blackburn with Darwen’s Councillor Mustafa Desai to support residents to stay active safely during lockdown restrictions, has won a national award.
The Charles Maher Award – Walking Champion 2021 recognises those going the extra mile to promote the wellbeing benefits of walking. The award was presented by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, at their virtual National Walking Summit (Thursday 18 March) National Walking Summit | Living Streets.
Cllr Mustafa Desai said:
I’m delighted that the walking group is getting this national recognition with the Charles Maher Award from Living Streets. It’s great that something so positive has come from the awful circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic. Being part of this group has been fantastic for the wellbeing of all its members and I recommend the activity to all as a simple but effective way to improve physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
Walking group’s social links:
Take A Hike (@take_.a_.hike) • Instagram
The award was set up in honour of Charles Maher, a campaigner and long-standing supporter of Living Streets. Mustafa Desai was nominated for setting up the Take A Hike programme, which uses walking to tackle physical and mental health challenges, while promoting inclusion for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women and enabling people to connect with the great outdoors.
Blackburn with Darwen’s Executive Member for Wellbeing, Cllr Damian Talbot said: “Great news to see a BwD wellbeing effort recognised at the National Walking Summit. We’re working hard to improve activity levels across the borough, with the publication of the Healthy Weight Declaration and announcing a Climate Emergency in recent years, together with more recent efforts to improve the walking and cycling infrastructure through Government funding for Emergency Active Travel Funding and the creation of a walking and cycling project group, Blackburn Stride and Ride ”
Chief Executive for Living Streets, Mary Creagh said: “Thanks to Mustafa’s enthusiasm and commitment, more people have been able to stay healthy, happy and connected during the pandemic. His inspirational work should act a blueprint for how to connect people from all walks of life with the joys of walking. He is a true walking superhero.”
A public consultation in BwD was recently launched to ask residents how to improve the walking and cycling infrastructure and has already had a great response.
Living Streets received a record number of 69 nominations this year, which were shortlisted down to eight for the charity’s members to vote on. All the candidates had made streets safer and cleaner, promoted inclusion, pioneered low traffic solutions, demonstrated creativity and innovation and used walking to tackle to the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sharing second place were Sarah Berry and Zane Powles, who were also recognised at the ceremony. Sarah Berry has played a key role campaigning for her local streets in south London. She has championed the local low traffic neighbourhood and led a community-wide project to re-design ‘Road Open’ signs which have been adopted nationally. Whilst Zane Powles, a primary school teacher in Grimsby, walked seven and a half miles a day to deliver meals to his pupils, covering 600 miles in the first lockdown, promoting the power of walking while providing a vital service to dozens of families.
More about Living Streets: Their vision is to create a nation where walking is the natural choice for everyday, local journeys; free from congested roads and pollution, reducing the risk of preventable illnesses and social isolation. To achieve a better walking environment and to inspire people of all generations to enjoy the benefits the simple act of walking brings.
For over 90 years Living Streets has been a champion for walking. In the early days campaigning led to the UK’s first zebra crossings and speed limits. Now campaigns and local projects deliver real change to overcome barriers to walking, and initiatives such as the world’s biggest Walk to School campaign encourage millions of people to walk more.