Visiting different places keeps Walks and Talks fun and interesting, encourages new people to come along and can also introduce participants to what other organisations are doing in the area and how they can get involved. Inviting local experts to come and talk – about history or nature, for example – can also make for a fascinating Walk and Talk.
There are lots of ways you can find out about what’s happening in your area: social media and other online community networks; noticeboards and shop windows; displays in public spaces such as libraries; and newsletters from the council, charities and places of worship.
And don’t forget to ask your Walkers and Talkers and volunteers – you’ll usually find they are a wealth of local knowledge and ideas.
Remember, however, that not every Walk and Talk has to have a theme, speaker or visit; the most important thing is that people know they can turn up every week and people will be there to Walk and Talk with. Sometimes the best Walk and Talks can be a relaxed stroll, enjoying nature.
Below are just some ideas of how to enjoy some fun and interesting walks.
Local History and Heritage
Museums, heritage attractions and stately homes are all obvious attractions to visit – small, local museums in particular are often glad to welcome new visitors. Many areas will have a club or society whose members give talks and write books about various aspects of local history. Look for their website where they may even have downloadable resources that you can use. An online search will often find blogs and newspaper articles written by enthusiastic amateurs. Or you could try your local library or bookshop which will have a local history section. Look out too to see if your local council has a heritage department or holds an annual heritage week or month, which can be another good source of information or people willing to speak.
Thinking about national events and commemorations can help to plan creative historical Walks. Did any pioneering ladies live in your area that you could talk about around International Women’s Day? Are there any local authors you could celebrate for World Book Day? Could you plan a local ghost walk around Halloween? Could someone read a poem to celebrate Burns Night?
Remember too that it’s not always the famous and wealthy lives of the past that are interesting. Whatever your area is famous for – from fishing to farming, mining to mudlarking – finding out about residents and how they used to live can be illuminating. And remember – you don’t need to carry out huge amounts of research; just a few snippets of information is often all it takes.
Religious Spaces
Churches and cemeteries can be both attractive and fascinating. Many churches have small booklets on sale which explain their history and notable features. Larger cemeteries may even have a ‘Friends of’ group that hosts events and leads walks. Websites such as https://www.findagrave.com/ can help you track down famous people or notable headstones in your local church. Or see who can find the oldest headstone or the person who lived the longest!
Mosques, temples and synagogues can be beautiful and interesting places to visit too. All will have different rules about when and how you might be able to visit but most now have a website and/or social media presence, so you can make contact and find out how you might be able to visit. ‘Visit my Mosque’ is a national campaign facilitated by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) supporting over 250 mosques across the UK to hold annual open days. You can find out more here: https://visitmymosque.org/
Nature
As with local history, there will often be local people who are experts on the fauna and flora in your area and more than happy to tell your Walkers and Talkers about the birds, bats, bees and bugs they can expect to spot. Your local council and ‘Friends of’ groups may even hold events that you can get involved in, such as planting trees or creating wildlife oases. There are all sorts of people who might want to share their interest in nature with you: foragers, ecologists, tree wardens and rangers.
But there’s lots you can do yourself, even if you’re no David Attenborough. Look out for downloadable factsheets and spotting/bingo sheets on the internet. Great resources include:
The Woodland Trust – http://treetoolsforschools.org.uk/activitymenu/?cat=outdoor_ticksheets
RSPB – https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/lesson-plans-and-supporting-resources/spot-it/
Wildlife Trusts – https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/looking-after-yourself-and-nature
Some of our tech-minded Walkers and Talkers enjoy using downloadable mobile Apps to identify unfamiliar wildlife. Our free favourites include:
- For birdsong: Merlin Bird ID (for iPhone) and BirdNET (for Android)
- For plants: PlantNet or Seek by iNaturalist (iPhone and Android)
- For trees: Woodland Trust Tree ID (iPhone and Android)
- For butterflies: Butterfly Conservation iRecord Butterflies (iPhone and Android)
- For mushrooms and funghi: Shroomify – British Mushroom (iPhone and Android)
Several organisations have annual events where you can join in a national effort to record creatures such as butterflies (Big Butterfly Count), garden birds (Big Garden Birdwatch) or hedgerow biodiversity (CPRE’s Hedgelife Help Out). Look out too for annual initiatives such as No Mow May, National Hedgerow Week and FSC Forest Week.
You can even create your own spotting sheet at this website: https://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/things-do/get-started-your-spotter-sheets
But remember, not every Walk and Talk needs an App, an expert or a factsheet. Sometimes it’s just best to walk slowly and enjoy the trees, plants, rivers and birds around you – even if you don’t know exactly what they are!
Gardens and Allotments
As well as accessing wild spaces, it can be nice for Walkers and Talkers to visit more cultivated places, such as parks, gardens, orchards and allotments.
Many places, particularly urban areas, have community gardens or orchards where residents can volunteer to help maintain them and get the opportunity to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables. Such spaces often rely on volunteers and love involving local people, so will often welcome your group to come along and find out what they do – and even get stuck in with some gardening!
If there are allotments near you, contact the allotment society to see if they would allow a visit or if they hold open days.
Some areas organise Open Garden weekends, where local people open their gardens to the public. For example, the National Open Garden Scheme has many gardens registered with it where you can arrange to visit as a group.
Look out too for ‘In Bloom’ competitions, so you can plan a walk that takes in some stunning front gardens, window boxes, hanging baskets or even roundabouts. Or just keep an eye out for stunning displays on your local walks; every season has something to offer, whether it’s blossoms, blooms or berries.
Art Galleries and Events
Look out for community art galleries, which are always keen to welcome visitors to their exhibitions. As well, outdoor art installations and trails – both permanent and temporary – can be fun to incorporate into a walk.
Many artists get together to hold annual ‘Open House’ events, where artists in a particular area display their artwork in their houses during a set period and welcome to public. It is probably a courtesy to check that they are happy with small group visits!
Sports Clubs and other exercise opportunities
Sports clubs are all about the benefits of exercise – and increasingly they recognise the importance of mental, as well as physical, health. Many professional sports clubs (e.g. football, rugby, cricket etc.) will have a person or team dedicated to engaging with the local community, as they are always trying to get new fans. So, it’s worth getting in touch to see if they can help by offering tours of their stadium, letting you drop in for a cup of tea after a Walk and Talk or providing volunteers.
Amateur clubs too always need new members and are often happy for Walkers and Talkers to visit. Try your local tennis, squash or cricket clubs. Flat green bowls and crown green bowls clubs have been closing all over the country and love new members – some have Open Days or ‘Try Out Sessions’. But there is a wealth of sports and outdoor activities that you can either watch or try, depending on where you are. Quidditch, rowing, kite-flying – the sky’s the limit.
And don’t forget free local amenities that you can visit on a Walk and Talk – many parks now incorporate gym equipment or facilities such as table tennis tables and even small climbing walls. Even just a goal or basketball hoop can generate a surprising amount of competition sometimes!
Statutory Services – fire stations, local police, rangers and wardens
Such services often welcome engagement with community groups, to explain what they do and/or listen to local residents’ concerns. Invite the local police (or rangers or wardens if you have them) to join you on a walk. Ask your local fire station if they host visits or watch out for their Open Days.
Food and Drink
It’s important to remember people’s financial circumstances may differ, so don’t assume that everyone will want to buy refreshments. But there are still lots of opportunities to investigate local food and drink. Farmers markets present a vast array of different produce and are free to wander around. Similarly, local food festivals often have a great atmosphere. Look out for seasonal events such as apple days, grape harvests or bee-keeping events that you could go and watch. And, of course, you can always forage (on a small scale) for plentiful blackberries!
Seasonal Events and Celebrations
As the seasons change, nature itself can be the main attraction. But there may also be lots going on locally that could visit on your Walk and Talk. Keep an eye out for local celebrations: fêtes, open street parties, kite-flying days, fruit picking, steam fairs and ploughing matches can be fun to visit if they’re near your usual route. Or is your area famous for annual folk festivities such as well-dressing, maypole-dancing or beating the bounds? There’s often something happening in your local area.
These are just a few ideas for places and events to visit on a Walk and Talk. It can be great fun to visit different places and useful for Walkers and Talkers to find out about all the opportunities in their area – whether it’s clubs they can join, other organisations they could volunteer for, or just discovering a special local place for the first time. But don’t feel the pressure to plan too much or something different every week.
Sometimes you’ll find that the simplest Walk and Talks are the most rewarding.
