Kennington Health Walkers are a friendly bunch, mostly retired people aged over 50. The group started in 2003 with just one walk leader and six walkers, which has grown in number to over 70 people, many of whom turn up to walk every week.

The point of a health walk is to help people to keep active and maintain fitness. A health walk is not a long ramble — they also go to lunch twice a year after a walk and may go to the pub, or a local café.

There are two short health walks in the local area making use of the River Thames footpaths and local woods, as well as using more accessible local footpaths.

They cater for all abilities and so offer a short route up to two miles, and a longer route of 3-4 miles. If you are active and enjoy walking (and talking) they always welcome new walkers, especially people who feel they may be willing to lead a walk at some point in the future.

If you would like to experience a health walk pop along on Monday or Thursday mornings at 10am on the main Kennington Road across the road from the Tandem pub in the village centre car park. There is only limited parking available in the car park as it is also used by patients at the health centre, but bus route 35 passes the starting point. Please arrive promptly and make yourself known to the walk leader.

But the group urgently needs more volunteer walk leaders to help keep these very popular walks going in the village.

If you enjoy walking, would you be willing to help lead walks up to 3–4 miles, or the shorter routes of 1–2 miles in the local area?

You do not have to be super fit to be a walk leader, as leaders can either be at the front of the walk setting the pace or help to support slower walkers at the back.

Currently there is a team of seven active walk leaders and it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to lead two walks every week.

Unless new volunteer leaders can be recruited, the group may have to reduce their health walks to just once a week.

If you want to know more about becoming a walk leader, please contact rosemary@gardneraldgate.demon.co.uk or visit the Walking for Health website at www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/walkfinder/south-east/kennington-health-walks for more information.