Discover green spaces from the doorstep, build a positive appreciation of where you and subconsciously remap geographical perceptions – reducing car-keys-first behaviours.
Supporting local communites to focus on discovering green spaces from the literal doorstep, really helps build a positive appreciation of where you live. This is what Richard from Running Seeds centres his work around, having dedicated a lot of his time over the last 8 years to support local communities.
Incorporating balanced volunteer based activities in his work has allowed him to help engage many more people.
"Crucially activities include town-to-town greenspace navigation to subconsciously remap geographical perceptions – reducing car-keys-first behaviours as ability realisation takes hold. It's helped people discover Leeds, bond the area, plus get fitter mentally and physically through active travel. Importantly, this is based right on the doorstep without travelling away first."
Having first approched the Alpkit Foundation in 2020 it's wonderful to hear about the impact he's been having over the last few years follwing that initial support.
“Alpkit Foundation small grants towards first aid training and equipment to continue activities through the winter. Over the the last 5 years this support has helped me deliver over 550 run/walk/cycle activities face to face to over 5,000 participants and growing!"
The support has directly played a part in enabling:
- Weekly Farsley Flyers mini-hikes; 2 hours/4-5miles in the evening around the trails of West Leeds. During darker seasons, he has 30 torches and continues to take groups across fields, through woods and many hills!
- Adhoc group hikes up to 20 miles based from Farsley, typically to reach towns you would only drive or catch a train to; such as Otley, Bingley, Keighley, Harrogate, Halifax and his favourite, Wakefield (17 miles via fields or 30 miles via waterways).
- The first aid has also allowed him to keep the weekly running group ‘Wellington Pacers’ operating safely.
By focusing on social/exploratory runs, it has highlighted the great green spaces within lunchtime reach of Leeds city centre.
"Most say they’ve learnt more about Leeds in a few weeks than 5 years of working there!"
It's so inspiring to see what Richard has managed to acheive since that first small award we supported him with, the sheer number of people he's managed to help engage with their local outdoor spaces and enjoy so much time outdoors. Here's to getting out to in your local areas and discovering those greenspaces, no matter how close, or small they may be!
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