GM Walking and Wheeling Fund supports communities to get moving more

An Oldham community group will tackle social isolation and an over-reliance on cars among South Asian men attending mosques thanks to funding from the GM Walking and Wheeling Fund.

Yuvanis Foundation were one of 38 voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to be successful in the latest round of funding from GM Walking which totalled £95,000.

The group will aim to cultivate a daily walking culture to local mosques in Oldham and Rochdale, reducing car journeys and improving physical and mental wellbeing within their community.

The Walking Together project will recruit mosque imams, who are respected community leaders, as “Walking Champions” to encourage attendees to join selected mosque for the weekly walks.

Yuvanis Foundation will work with fellow grant recipients Become United who, through their existing community outreach, know a separate walk offer is needed for women and girls.

Become United will utilise their GM Walking and Wheeling Fund investment to offer a safe, female-only space which are led by volunteers who reflect the cultural background of the participants.

According to Sport England Data, 36.6% of people of Asian ethnicity (excluding Chinese) in Greater Manchester complete less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day, compared to 26% of White British people.

Tackling inequalities in physical activity levels, such as these, is a key focus of the Greater Manchester Walking and Wheeling Fund which is supported by GM Integrated Care Partnership and distributed by Salford CVS.

The fund aims to improve the health and wellbeing of communities by encouraging people who are less active or inactive to walk or wheel (e.g. using a wheelchair/mobility aid or pushing a pram) regularly.

Yuvanis Foundation are just one of an incredibly diverse range of projects receiving small (up to £2,000) and medium (up to £5,000) grants which includes:

• Forest bathing sessions for people with breathing difficulties in Trafford
• Walking and wheeling groups for people with disabilities in parks
• A walk and talk group for new parents and parents-to-be in Bury and Salford, and much more.

Carole Pollard, Community Workforce Champions Lead at GM Walking said:

“We know that winter can be a difficult time for anyone to motivate themselves to keep active but even a short walk and a bit of daylight gives us a massive boost.

“We’ve funded some really inspiring projects this year through the GM Walking and Wheeling Fund and I can’t wait to see how they’ll bring people together to have fun and get more active.”

For more information on the projects as they progress, keep an eye on our website, newsletter, and social media.