Paths for All – Dementia Friendly Health Walks

Paths for All supports a network of over 650 health walks that take place in communities across Scotland. The majority of these walks are led by volunteers and are managed by a range of organisations including local authorities, NHS, leisure trusts and community organisations.

People living with dementia are involved in the development and planning of walks, and volunteer walk leaders are supported through their Dementia Friendly Walk Leader Training.

The Dementia Friendly Accreditation recognises the positive changes put in place by health walk projects to make walks accessible to people living with dementia. Projects working towards the accreditation can access a range of tailored support from Paths for All including Dementia Friendly Walk Leader training, tailored advice and support, resources, and networking opportunities.

The Impact so far

34 Walking for Health projects have achieved the accreditation and are delivering over 145 Dementia Friendly Health Walks each week. Over 750 volunteers have attended Dementia Friendly Walk Leader training.

Advice for others

Paths for All advise that a dementia friendly walk is not just about a particular length of walk, a specific path surface or what day or time the walk takes place, a dementia friendly walk is about an approach and ethos within the group itself:

· It is open to the whole community

· It is social and friendly

· It is enabling and demonstrates what someone living with dementia can do

· It is safe and secure, walks have been risk assessed and procedures are in place to maintain the safety of the group

· It is supported by a trained walk leader and the rest of the group take on informal roles to support and look out for the group

To find out more

To find out more about their work contact carl.greenwood@pathsforall.org.uk or visit https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/

The locations of all their Health Walks, including those that are dementia friendly, can be found on their online map. There is also a selection of walkers’ stories about the impact of the walking groups here. You can also keep up to date with the project by signing up to their quarterly newsletter.