Walking group welcomes funding boost from Stoke-on-Trent City Council

A walking group which helps people suffering from depression, anxiety and PTSD has received a funding boost from Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Teri Elder started Walk Talk Action to help improve her own mental health following the birth of her first daughter.

Today the group – which has helped more than 500 people since its inception – meets regularly to explore Stoke-on-Trent’s parks and surrounding countryside. It also hosts community and veteran coffee mornings and other social events which bring people together, get people moving and help to improve people’s state of mind.

Now Walk Talk Action is in the process of creating a number of interactive maps after securing £5,864 from Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Community Investment Fund (CIF).

The cash has helped the group buy seven laptops so staff and volunteers can develop the maps to showcase a variety of routes and highlight the type of walks available in the city.

Councillor Lorraine Beardmore, cabinet member for culture, leisure and public health, said: “Walk Talk Action is a fantastic group which really helps people suffering with mental health disorders, such as PTSD, to get out and enjoy the great outdoors and some of the wonderful parks that we have across Stoke-on-Trent.

“I am delighted that we have been able to award the group more than £5,000 from the Community Investment Fund to help them continue their great work.”

Walk Talk Action CEO Teri Elder added: “We feel very lucky to have been awarded this funding. It has allowed us to buy some new laptops to help us put together our interactive maps.

“These maps are based on the ‘five ways to wellbeing’ – connect, take notice, learn, be active and give – and will include details such as whether that particular walk is wheelchair friendly, how long it is, what the terrain is like and point out any local landmarks.

“We hope that these maps will help even more people to walk, talk and take action.”

Since Stoke-on-Trent City Council launched its Community Investment Fund in 2017, more than £3.6 million has been handed out to 181 projects across the city.

Priority was given to those which benefit children and young people, improve education and skills, protect and improve physical and mental wellbeing, improve communities and promote Stoke-on-Trent.