Funding boost to promote the benefits of walking within Derbyshire

Walk Derbyshire provides a variety of walk events across the county, including this one pictured at Tissington.

Derbyshire County Council has approved a significant amount of funding to improve opportunities for everyday walking within the county.

The county council has announced £80,000 for the Walk Derbyshire programme, which focuses on supporting new walking opportunities within the local community, with a focus on people who are inactive or living in areas with higher health inequalities.

This money will ensure increased opportunities for Derbyshire residents to walk more, leading to a reduction of inactivity levels and improved health, wellbeing and social connection amongst the wider population.

Walk Derbyshire has already in the last year succeeded in training 131 people through its Walk Leader Accreditation Scheme, supported the development of nearly 100 individual walking groups and seen almost 25,000 walker attendances.

In addition, the organisation has worked with communities over the last four years in eight different areas to identify the barriers that residents face in walking as part of their daily lives. By working strategically with local partners, this has resulted in significant improvements to walking opportunities, better access to trails, provision of extra benches and upgraded signage.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Dawn Abbott said: “I’m thrilled to announce this extra funding to help boost the provision of the walking offer here within our county! Walking has lots of benefits for residents: better physical and mental health outcomes, the opportunity to meet other local people and the forging of stronger relationships within our communities.”

The money announced is allocated from the 2026 – 2027 Public Health Grant.

The funding will support development of healthier communities through working with partners to enable more people to walk more on an everyday basis and further expansion of the Walk Leader initiative, and other walking campaigns, including the launch of new routes.

Walk Derbyshire is a project jointly funded by the county council, Derby City Council and Active Partners Trust. These organisations are also committed to funding an additional £80,000 to deliver the programme.

The project is always on the lookout for new volunteers wanting to become a walk leader. If this is of interest, please visit walkderbyshire.org.uk.