23/05/2024
The GM Walking Festival 2024 has been another huge success with hundreds of individuals, groups, and organisations getting moving throughout May in celebration of National Walking Month.
As the month of May draws to a close, we’ve taken a look through some of our social media highlights.
There’s still time to share your best moments from the festival, tag @GMWalks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and we look forward to hearing more about you’re planning to keep moving throughout the rest of the summer here in Greater Manchester.
As Spring turns to Summer, May is a fantastic month for so many reasons with GM Moving CEO Hayley Lever taking the opportunity to enjoy nature during a walk.
May might just be my favourite month. @GmWalks #GMWalkingFestival pic.twitter.com/qjJCVH3XSD
— Hayley Lever (@hayleylever) May 8, 2024
Sport England were also quick to show their support for the GM Walking Festival, sharing the 300 free, group walks with their 135,000 followers on X (previously Twitter).
🔦 Saturday Spotlight 🔦
May is #NationalWalkingMonth and to celebrate there are more than 300 FREE, group walks on offer across Greater Manchester.
Join the GM Walking Festival and discover the routes: https://t.co/9ekqxQlv55@GMMoving 🚶 pic.twitter.com/rHlQ5JQJKT
— Sport England (@Sport_England) May 4, 2024
Immunologist & science communicator Professor Sheena was delighted to be part of this year’s festival with an event organised by Ardwick Climate Action, Lydia Becker Institute, and University of Manchester.
Wonderful to get the chance today to walk our green route as part of the GM walking festival. It was fab meeting residents and hearing what they thought & seeing the progress in planting that has happened. Brilliant work from @ArdwickClimate @LydiaBeckerIII @UoMEngage pic.twitter.com/a5VSDQ6G36
— Prof Sheena Cruickshank (she/her) (@sheencr) May 14, 2024
What a start! So much joy from pupils at Mersey Drive Primary School as they got involved with the The GM Walking Festival on 3 May.
Today our walking bus took part in The Greater Manchester Walking Festival. Our children dressed to impress. We brought the festival vibes with our music, whistles, bubbles, dance moves and smiles 😁 @GmWalks pic.twitter.com/nnwo9qpjOJ
— Mersey Drive Primary (@MerseyDrive) May 3, 2024
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week focused on movement allowing GM Moving partners to share the many amazing benefits that walking can have on our mental health, including the new GM Integrated Care Partnership.
Boost Wellbeing CIC were out enjoying being part of the GM Walking Festival, regardless of the weather. Great to see lots of happy faces.
The weekly ‘Walk for Health’ stroll around Abney Hall. Lovely afternoon for it with a break in the ☔️ #MomentsForMovement #GMWalkingFestival #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek pic.twitter.com/UQQ2SVvVFy
— BOOST (@Boost_GM) May 14, 2024
There’s a growing movement for walking within younger adults so it was great to work alongside Girls Who Walk MCR to highlight the GM Walking Festival and the many benefits of walking to their followers on Instagram.
Meanwhile, students at Manchester Metropolitan University were also out enjoying the GM Walking Festival and sharing their experiences on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by MMU Lifestyle & Wellness society (@mmu.lifestyleandwellness)
Creative Living Centre, a mental health charity in Prestwich, were recipients of GM Walking Festival funding and used the investment to take members to the National Trust’s Castlefield Viaduct.
@CreativeLivingC members enjoyed a fabulous morning at Castlefield Viaduct today funded by our friends at @gmwalks Big thanks to Emily from @SowtheCity and Ted from @NTCastleDuct for their informative presentations. Equally thanks to @VillageGreensUK for the lovely lunch wraps.👍 pic.twitter.com/wTdmTDqiiX
— Mental Health Charity – Creative Living Centre (@CreativeLivingC) May 22, 2024
Northern Roots is creating the UK’s largest urban farm & eco park on 160 acres of stunning green space in the heart of Oldham, and used the festival as a way to show local people more about the heritage of their site.
Community Champions Dawn & Ola lead a wonderful heritage walk connecting local people to the rich history of the 160-acre Northern Roots site, from where the world’s largest cotton mill once stood to the site of Strawberry Gardens.#GMWalkingFestival @GmWalks pic.twitter.com/9Fb34TNCnY
— Northern Roots (@NorthernRootsOL) May 13, 2024
Throughout the third week of May, Living Streets held their annual Walk to School week with children and parents encouraged to add movement to their daily journey to school and discover the Magic of Walking.
It was fantastic to see Bury’s Live Well service supporting Walk To School week as well as many other aspects of the GM Walking Festival as part of their efforts to help people to make positive changes to their lifestyle.
It’s #WalkToSchoolWeek!🏫
Did you know children’s brains are more ready to learn when they have been active?🧠
Walk to school – small steps to a big boost!⬆
Enjoy walking? Find out about more brilliant walks in the Bury area this #GMWalkingFestival
👉https://t.co/lk4thIJru9 pic.twitter.com/rBQ535JX1B— Bury Live Well Service (@burylivewell) May 21, 2024
Medicare Foundation UK CIC shared the highlights of their walk which was designed to highlight sickle cell disease and blood donations.
🚶👁 IN FOCUS | For #NationalWalkingMonth and the @GmWalks Festival, discover more of Manchester’s walking activities & groups.@Medicare_Found‘s walk to grow awareness of Sickle Cell & blood donations was 1 of many fantastic community activities.
✅ https://t.co/wjle0pAubH pic.twitter.com/kiV7djX7Ox
— MCRactive (@MCRActive) May 21, 2024
Thank you to everyone who has been part of the 2024 GM Walking Festival. We hope you enjoyed moving more throughout May and will continue to embed walking into your everyday activities. We’ll be back with details of next year’s festival later in the year.