South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 19/09/2013

The fortnightly Emersons Green buggy walks have seen a steady rise in the number of parents attending with their buggies. Over the last four months the number of people attending the walks has risen from 16 to 90, and around a third of walkers each outing are parents taking part for the first time.

Our Walking for Health team are now rolling out the buggy walks to Cadbury Heath, Kingswood and Patchway, and are looking for volunteers to help lead the walks, including those in Emersons Green.

Buggy walks are a free sociable activity for parents and grandparents of babies up to 18 months old. Walks last around an hour, and are usually followed by a cuppa in a local venue where mums and dads can feed their babies and have a chat. There are also occasional information sessions covering a range of subjects including child injury prevention in the home, pre and post natal exercise and library services for young children.

The Emersons Green buggy walking group meet outside Emersons Green Library at 10am on the first and third Wednesday of each month. The next Emersons Green walk takes place on Wednesday 2 October. The next information session will take place on Wednesday 16 October where the council’s road safety team will give a talk on child car seat safety following the buggy walk.

The Cadbury Heath walking group will meet at the Community Hall on School Road and the first walk is on Friday 20 September, leaving at 10am. The Kingswood buggy walk group will meet at the Kingsmeadow Community Flat, Barrington Close and their first walk is on Wednesday 9 October, leaving at 10am. The Patchway walks are planned to begin over the next few months.

Feedback received from parents taking part in the walks has been very positive, calling the buggy walks an invaluable free service that can be enjoyed by many. Parents have also reported that they find the walks can help relieve the daily stress of being at home with baby and that they have lifted their mood by getting out in the fresh air and being able to talk to other mums and dads about parenthood.

For more information visit www.southglos.gov.uk/buggywalks

If you are interested in leading a buggy walk please contact 01454 868006 or email healthylifestyles@southglos.gov.uk