LETTER: Enjoy Pendle’s autumn colours on foot

Firstly, I need to correct a point made by the author of the letter about the funding, which did not come from Pendle residents’ council tax. The council found money within its health inequalities budget for the routes, waymarkers, signage and publicity of the project. This came from the Communities for Health funding provided by the Department for Health.

I also need to correct your correspondent on the amount of money spent. They suggested around £5,000 when the whole project actually cost much less, around £2,000.

Coronary heart disease, stroke and related conditions are big problems locally. Pendle’s death rate from these conditions is currently higher than the national average. With our partners in health, we have a duty to promote healthy lifestyles to address these conditions and one way of doing that is by highlighting walking as a wonderful way of taking exercise. It doesn’t cost anything and while you’re out walking in Pendle, you can enjoy all that our beautiful parks have to offer.

In addition, Nelson’s Victoria Park is used by Pendle Leisure Trust’s Let’s Walk co-ordinator, Wayne Bowman, for a range of healthy walks aimed at people who aren’t in the habit of walking. His programme of walks - which can be found on the council’s website www.pendle.gov.uk - can help anyone to ease walking into their daily routine.

Together, we believe the Walk4Life project can really benefit Pendle residents and I’d encourage anyone to follow the routes in Victoria Park to see for themselves. And, of course, now is a wonderful time to get out into Pendle’s parks – the autumn colours are absolutely stunning.

KIERON ROBERTS

Principal Development Officer,

Parks & Recreation