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WFW Virtual Walk 59
NUMBER 59
Hello everyone, 

This week finds us over 75% of the way through our virtual walk- wow! We only have a little bit of Zambia, a short hop into Zimbabwe, then Botswana and South Africa to go. Thank you so much for sending in all your miles so far and keep it coming- we're so nearly there. 

As usual, we also have a walking route,  a virtual walk from the archives and a resource to help you get the most out of your walks this week, as well as some absolutely fabulous reader photos! This week's route, along Electric Road between South and North Hinksey, is a favourite of mine, and is illustrated by lots of my pictures.

Best wishes, 

Francesca
Walking for Wellbeing Project Facilitator


In this Newsletter...
 
Virtual Walking Challenge
In our second virtual walking adventure of the year, we are traversing the length of Africa from Cairo to Cape Town. Stay updated on our progress here...

Miles Walked...  
4815.22

Current Location...
Near Choma (Southern Zambia)

We continue down the road out of Lusaka, heading towards Victoria Falls and the border with Zimbabwe. Eventually we end up in Choma, the capital of the southern province. Home to a busy nightlife which has hosted many of Zambia's most famous musicians, as well as a bustling market and streetfood stalls, it makes a pleasant spot to break our journey for the day. Nearby is Lake Kariba, the largest man-made lake by volume in the world- four times bigger than the Three Gorges Project in China! Caused by damming the Zambezi to flood the Kariba Gorge, it is now teeming with fish, and home to abundant wildlife, including elephant, lion, leopard and cheetah, on its shores. 
 
Our progress so far

This week's leaderboard

1. Alyrene...67.5 miles
2. Max...42.5 miles
3. Colette...23 miles
4. Sara...16.7 miles
5. Richard...5 miles

With thanks to...
 
Anne and two anonymous walkers.

... who also contributed

Pictures from our walks this week...
Ladybird
Colette sent in this lovely photo of a ladybird on a leaf!
Hawthorns

I spotted these hawthorns in full bloom on my walk along the suggested route this week!
Purple, yellow, green and white
Check out these lovely pictures from Anne of the latest crop of seasonal flowers!
Botanic Gardens
Dianne and Cyril sent in these beautiful colourful shots of all the flowers they saw on their trip to the Botanic Gardens, and also of all the people enjoying punting on the Cherwell!

How to take part in the challenge


1. Go out for a walk, run or cycle around your local area on your own, with members of your household, or with up to six friends in line with government regulations.

2. Find a way of tracking how far you've walked. You could use your smartphone, a pedometer or fitbit, or just measure it on a map. 

3. Send me your mileage and a picture of you out on your walk (if you like) by filling out this form:https://form.jotform.com/210061907549051 . Please submit all distances to me in miles. You can easily find converters from steps to miles by searching online. 

4. Each week I will tally up how many miles we've all done together, input it to my map, and figure out where we are on the route. 

Each week, there will be a list of everyone who has contributed...and even a leader board of the people who have walked the furthest.  This is completely optional, you can also participate anonymously if you like. 

If you'd like your mileage and pictures included in the newsletter on the Monday, please send them to me at the latest by the end of the day on Thursday of the week before.  Otherwise your mileage will be included in the next week. 

If you would like to fundraise for Oxfordshire Mind through your walking challenge, you could set up a Just Giving page and ask friends and colleagues to sponsor you.
This week's featured walking route 
Pylon Pathway 
About this route

Did you know that there's a secret back way that runs between the Botley Road and Abingdon Road, along the path of the pylons that carry electricity between the two parts of the city? It doesn't sound like it would be the prettiest spot to walk, but  trust us. If you step over the railway bridge behind Hinksey Park, you'll suddenly find yourself in a rural idyll of wide open fields and water meadows, protected from further development by the presence of these apparently unsightly metal pillars.  Electric Road, as this path is known, is wide and easy to walk along, and as you amble the easy distance between South and North Hinksey, you'll spot sheep from the nearby villages grazing peacefully on one side, and long lush grass studded with wildflowers on the other. 

Time

45 minutes.

Good to know

I've brought you out in North Hinksey village, right beside The Fishes pub, as that's a nice spot to stop and rest your legs after a long walk. But you could always turn the other way and come out on the Botley Road if that's more convenient. 
 
Directions
Start: the junction of Lake Street and Abingdon Road.

Turn down Lake Street and walk straight to the end, past the community centre and doctor's surgery.

Turn down the footpath to your left, past the fence of Hinksey Park.

Walk a few metres. On your left you'll see a narrow bridge crossing the lake. Turn down that. 

Follow the bridge over the lake, then go up the stairs up to the bridge over the railway.

Keep going straight over the railway bridge. Stop and have a look at the trains if that's something that interests you. 

Descend from the railway bridge. In front of you there will be a pretty narrow path overhung with hawthorn trees.

Go straight down this path and over a bridge, through the wooded area, until you see fields on either side of you and a gate on either side.

Go through the gate on your right. 

Electric Road is the wide path right in front of you. You can't miss it. If you like, walk to the edge of the path where there are some concrete blocks that are fun to walk along.

Follow Electric Road through several fields, and over a couple of bridges. Eventually, when you get towards Osney, the path will start to get rougher and peter out. 

You will come to a fork in the road. If you bear right, you will walk through Osney Mead up towards the Botley Road.

Bear left instead, and then turn more abruptly left again.

Follow this path straight, crossing a stream, and continue into a wooded area.

At the first junction after you enter the woods, turn left. 

Keep following this little path straight on through the woods.

Eventually you'll come out in the large back garden of a pub- the Fishes.

Walk straight through the garden and up to the main road if you'd like to continue, or stop to rest your feet in the pub if you would like.


On the way you might see...
Spring lambs
Buttercups
Railway Line
Secret pools
A virtual walk from the archives....
Cotswolds
https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/virtual-walk-cotswolds/

Holiday cottages all booked up? Not to worry, you can visit the Cotswolds from your living room in this virtual walk!
This week's resource 
Springwatch 'how to' videos

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08gqvf2

Some videos from the BBC Springwatch website about things you can do to encourage wildlife into your garden. 
Book onto an in-person walk 
If you are fit and healthy and in a low-risk category for coronavirus, you may wish to come on an in-person walk!

Existing participants can book onto these walks using the links below. If you have not come on a walk with us before, please get in contact with us first using the contact details below. 

Oxford 

All Oxford walks meet outside The Mill, 46 Cowley Road, OX4 1HZ.


Tuesday 8th June- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/156893608005
Thursday 10th June- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/156893896869
Tuesday 15th June MEET AT CARFAX- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/154842918337
Thursday 17th June- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/157788051309

Banbury 

All Banbury walks meet outside Banbury Wellbeing Hub, Britannia Road, OX16 5DN.

Friday 11th June- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/155972894125
Friday 18th June- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/157788330143

You can also book on by getting in touch with us on walking@oxfordshiremind.org.uk or 07701372060.

Please read the safety guidance before attending.
New! Peer Support Group
In response to the winter lockdowns we have set up a new virtual peer support group to help support each other with staying active through these uniquely challenging times. 

Would you like:
  • To share your love of nature with a group of like-minded individuals?
  • Help with goal-setting and friendly encouragement to keep going with physical activity?
  • Practical ideas for how to get more out of your walks and stave off boredom? 
Then this could be for you!

Please get in touch for more details including timings. 
We want to hear from you! 

We're always looking for new content for this newsletter! If you have something that you think our readers would like to see, we'd love to hear from you.

You could send in photos or videos of you out for your daily exercise, pictures of nice things you've seen, or even just a written message of support or tip for how you've been keeping active and maintaining your wellbeing--  anything that you think would be positive, helpful and encouraging.   If you have an idea for a walk location that would also always be welcome.

Please just don't reveal your home address, or take a photo or video of somebody else when you don't have their permission. 

If you would like to share something, just send it in to walking@oxfordshiremind.org.uk, alongside a completed consent form, which you can download here. 
Virtual Walks Feedback Survey 
We want to know what you have thought of our virtual walks so far!

Your feedback helps us give you the best experience possible and prove that we are doing a good job so we can keep offering this service. 

If you have particularly enjoyed our virtual offer, have thoughts on what we could do better, or just have an idea for a good place to virtually walk, please fill out our survey: https://form.jotform.com/201693360035045
What is the latest government advice?

England is currently in the process of easing coronavirus restrictions. 

 Please check these links for the latest advice and further detail:

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
 
What if I can't go outside? 

If you aren't able to go outside right now, there are things you can do to still keep active and get the benefits of nature in your life.

Sport England has gathered together some great resources to help you exercise in your home:

https://www.sportengland.org/news/how-stay-active-while-youre-home

Suggestions for what you could do to get the benefits of the outdoors while inside (from https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/ ): 

  • Spend time with the windows open to let in fresh air.
  • Have flowers or potted plants in your home.
  • Use natural materials to decorate your living space, or use them in art projects. This could include leaves, flowers, feathers, tree bark or seeds.
  • Arrange a comfortable space to sit, for example by a window where you can look out over a view of trees or the sky, or watch birds and other animals. 
  • Grow plants or flowers on windowsills. For example, you could buy seeds online or look for any community groups that give away or swap them.
  • Look at photos of your favourite places in nature. Use them as the background on your mobile phone or computer screen, or print and put them up on your walls.
  • Listen to natural sounds, like recordings or apps that play birdsong, ocean waves or rainfall.
  • Get as much natural light as you can. Spend time in your garden if you have one, or open your front or back door and sit on the doorstep.

Remember as well that our Peer Support Group is always here for you!
Coronavirus and your wellbeing 

If you are worried about the effect that coronavirus is having on your wellbeing, please read the advice from Oxfordshire Mind below. 

https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/

There are also handy tips for how those with severe mental illness can look after their health in this time below:

https://equallywell.co.uk/resources/guide-for-people-with-smi-to-look-after-physical-health-during-covid/
About Walking for Wellbeing
Walking for Wellbeing is an Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership-wide project which runs walking groups for people with severe and enduring mental health conditions. We are funded by Sport England and based within Oxfordshire Mind. 

For more information, please contact walking@oxfordshiremind.org.uk.
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