Get Out This May with the Greater Manchester Walking Festival

By GM Walking | 14 April 2021 | TAGS: GM Walking, walking, #GetOutThisMay, GM Walking Festival

As the nation emerges from a long winter of lockdown restrictions, Greater Manchester is being urged to #GetOutThisMay by the Greater Manchester Walking Festival (GM Walking Festival).

No matter whether you’re a stroller, roamer, shuffler, moocher or a marcher the festival has something for everyone, with guides for those new to walking as well as regular striders! Back for the seventh year, it runs from Saturday 1^st- Monday 31^st May during national walking month, and offers ideas and inspiration to inspire everyone to get outside and explore towns, cities, the countryside, canals, riversides and parks across Greater Manchester. The GM Walking ambition is to make Greater Manchester the first ‘Walking Region’ in the UK.

In 2021 the message of the festival is to encourage residents of Greater Manchester to enjoy reconnecting with the great outdoors, their friends and neighbours and to get out and about more. A selection of challenges, activities and ideas collated into three daily calendars, (beginner, intermediate and experienced walker) are available as a handy resource to download from the GM Walking website. The calendars can be used by individuals and in small groups.

The links between walking and helping to create a sense of wellbeing are strong so during Mental health awareness week (10-16^th May) the walk ideas featured focus on ways to help wellbeing. There are also ideas to incorporate walking into family time during Walk to school week (17^th – 21^st May).

Louise Robbins, Strategic Lead GM Walking said: “The last year has been challenging for everyone and whilst many have enjoyed the simple pleasures of walking and being outdoors, there are undoubtedly people who are emerging from the lockdown now. The festival is the perfect excuse to kickstart an active lifestyle and to get outdoors more with the kids or a group of friends.”

Join the conversation and share photos and your experiences of walking in Greater Manchester on social media, follow @GMWalks on Twitter.