News Archive

One of the biggest winter sports shows in the country will descend on Birmingham this weekend. From Friday October 30th to Sunday November 1st, the show will welcome professional and amateur ski enthusiasts alike, and will this year celebrate 21 years at Birmingham's NEC.The show promises something for everyone, with activities, shopping and events throughout the weekend. There will be the return of the very popular Big Air Freestyle display team, which will feature Olympic and World Champions o....

Children from all over the world will join forces to take part in Walk To School month in October.Charity Living Streets, which runs the continuous Walk to School campaign, believes youngsters who are not driven to school are better able to concentrate on their work, as well as being healthy.Chief executive of the group Tony Armstrong commented: “When children are bundled from front door to car door, they miss out on the opportunity to socialise with friends, get to know their community, an....

People who go walking regularly with their dog are likely to live longer, it has been revealed. Research carried out by life insurance group Policy Selection found that older people who have a dog which needs daily exercise can add up to 18 months to their lives by walking it a couple of times a day.According to the Daily Express, the study also found that regular exercise such as playing golf, tennis or swimming can add around 12 to 18 months to the life expectancy of a 75-year-old.Policy selec....

Children will be putting on their walking boots and heading to school in October for International Walk to School Month.At least 40 countries will take part in the initiative, which aims to get more kids in walking boots and out of their families' cars.Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Living Streets, said: "Walking to school is a brilliant way to get some physical activity and some fresh air into your day."He added that children who are driven to school each day miss out on extra soc....

People who are running out of places to go for a walk can don their walking boots and follow a list of recommended routes from the Daily Mail.The newspaper has selected a raft of places in the UK which are ideal to take a stroll, including Rutland Water in Leicestershire, which is Europe's largest manmade reservoir.Those wanting to walk further down south can head to Cornwall's Camel Trail, which consists of 11 miles of disused railway through the area. It is a great region for those wanting to ....

Former darling of the US ski team Bode Miller is set to make a dramatic return to the team.Ahead of next year's Vancouver Olympics in February, the former overall World Cup winner is finding his feet again in the alpine team.Criticism was levelled at the former champion after he won four world championship gold medals, but then left the national set-up two years ago to start a team on his own. The outspoken 32-year-old is seen as a renegade in the sport and has refused to apologise over numerous....

Despite being diagnosed with meningitis and swine flu this year, one determined student will now walk 20 miles to raise money for charity.Gemma Drury, 17, from Brimington, Chesterfield, is walking from Bakewell to Belper on October 8th to raise money for Meningitis UK's Search for a Vaccine Campaign, reports the Star.The student, who is now studying for her A Levels, will be joined on the walk by 15 friends and family members as part of the campaign which is aiming to raise £7 million to he....

The iconic and picturesque Lake District - the largest of the UK's national parks - needs the help of volunteers for a conservation effort.Woodland, footpaths and beaches are in need of sprucing up and support is being sought for clearing some invasive species. On October 10th volunteers will gather for the latest monthly conservation effort, which will see the group tackling rhododendrons to try and curb the growth of the species which takes away light from native plants. On Lowther Forestry la....

Ilkley has been praised for its walking facilities, with the Yorkshire town seen as the perfect place for people to take off their hiking boots and enjoy a rest after spending a day on the moors. Following on from the news that the town has been recognised as a Walkers are Welcome destination, local author and outdoors enthusiast Gervase Phinn has stated that the natural beauty surrounding Ilkley can match that of almost anywhere else in the country. What's more, in addition to the numerous walk....

Scotland's leading winter sports resorts are once again teaming up to give visitors the chance to enjoy all-areas access in the shape of special season-long passes. Following on from the recent success of the scheme, the chair of Ski-Scotland has confirmed that the passes allow unlimited access to slopes across the country between December 2009 and October 2010. In addition, the passes also allow entry to the SNO!zone, Scotland's only indoor snow centre, while those sports fans buying their pass....

A new scheme has been launched to encourage people to go for long walks.Government quango Natural England has launched what it is calling its Natural Health Service in Yorkshire to try and tackle to obesity epidemic.According to the agency, nine out of ten people in England will be overweight by the year 2050.A county-wide directory of walks and open spaces is being set up by the agency and GPs are being asked to tell patients where these are and encourage people to use them.Currently, Natural E....

A dedicated team of volunteers took a 12-mile hike to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. Over 300 people walked the course, which took in parts the Chatsworth House estate and its surrounding areas.The huge estate belongs to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, reports the Sheffield Star.Thanks to the walkers and sponsors, £22,000 was raised to support the charity's work.Dan Routt, regional events' organiser for the British Heart Foundation, told the news provider: "I would l....

This Sunday (September 27th) will see the official opening of a new historical walking trail in Ewell and neighbouring Epsom – the home of the famous horse race. The trail will be unveiled at 15:00 BST by Dr Dhiren Rathod, president of the Rotary Club of Ewell, and Jan Mason, mayor of Epsom and Ewell, reports the Epsom Guardian. Starting outside the Upper Mill on Kingston Road, the walk will uncover some of the area's hidden treasures.The Rotary Club of Ewell has worked closely with Epsom a....

More people are choosing to learn new life skills on holiday through outdoor adventure. Instead of kicking back and relaxing on their break, people are getting involved in activities including woodland management, footpath repair and construction, gardening and archaeology.The idea of 'working holidays' is an increasingly popular one, according to a spokesperson for the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). According to research last month from VisitEngland, holiday trips taken by UK residents in E....

A group of walkers who are trying to emulate the famous Alfred Wainwright are celebrating reaching the halfway point in the journey. As they battle the elements in their coast to coast walk - which Mr Wainwright wrote several books on including 'Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells' - the hikers have hit the midway point of their 190-mile round trip in Swaledale. The walk is to celebrate the new coastal branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and also the 75th anniversary of the Friend....

Residents of Coventry in the Midlands are being urged by some of the city's best known faces to get healthy and walk more. The TravelWise Walking Challenge starts today (September 21st) and encourages people to walk at least 10,000 steps per day, five days a week.A month-long campaign, it aims to help more people across the West Midlands towards their healthy lifestyle targets.As part of the scheme, organisers have enlisted the help of local celebrities to wear a pedometer and record how many st....

Taking a stroll around the garden is not usually such a profitable affair, but a group of elderly care home residents have been made money doing so. The residents raised money for charity by completing a sponsored walk around their care home grounds, reports the Bolton News.Phoebe Arnold, at the grand old age of 98, was the oldest person to be taking part in the fundraising walk at the weekend and was joined by eight other elderly friends. The residents of Blackrod House walked around their car....

A retired National Park ranger has received the highest accolade possible at a presentation in Sweden.Gordon Miller has received the Alfred Toepfer Medal by the European Federation of National Parks for his outstanding role in strengthening ranger services worldwide.The award was named after the federation's founder and was given to Mr Miller at the Europarc conference in Sweden as it celebrated the 100th anniversary of Europe's national parks.Thomas Hansson, president of the Europarc Nordic-Bal....

For the first time, guided tours of the Union Canal will form part of Edinburgh's Doors Open Day.The guided tour will feature among the 80 attractions in the event's programme, reports the Scotsman.On September 27th, walkers will be led by experts for the one and-a-half-hour tour between Fountainbridge and Polwarth, while learning about the history and use of the waterway.Maggie Spalding, Doors Open Day co-ordinator, told the news provider: "We're thrilled the Open Day event will be taking ....

A sponsored walk in Central London will help raise awareness of a condition called ataxia which affects 10,000 people in the UK but the public knows little about.Participants on the day will be invited to wheel or walk the course and will be joined by a local support group for the condition, reports the East London Advertiser.The walk in Victoria Park will involve a five kilometre circuit and is set to begin at 12:00 BST on Sunday September 27th.It is a condition which leaves most people unable ....