Three Valleys Nordic Walking – Walking Back to Happiness
MAY 16th 2019
“The aim was to promote a healthy and achievable programme of exercise for members of the community who for whatever reason felt lonely and perhaps socially excluded. The project also delivered companionship for these people as well as the well documented health benefits of Nordic WalkingOur oldest new member is 86 years old, lives alone, what a difference we have made to his life – we have 3 members in their eighties all living alone. It gives every member of the group a feeling of pride and satisfaction that we can offer so many positive effects to their emotional health as well as their physical well-being. We were unexpectedly asked to contribute to a cross party Parliamentary debate on Loneliness and we also contributed to a similar consultation organised by the Welsh Assembly Government. Some of our findings are contained in the report, findings which were based on the experiences of our project funded by Pen y Cymoedd.
The project was targeted at people who felt isolated, lonely, socially excluded due to loss of a partner, recovering from debilitating health conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s etc. We have members who joined our project after losing partners as recently as 6 weeks previous – one of our findings – people in this position do not want to walk with people they know or knew their partner! When they are walking with us, they forget their sorrow.
Perhaps in retrospect one aspect of the project that became apparent during the year was the need for ‘one-to-one’ assistance/ learning. Some people are reluctant to learn in a group for fear of embarrassment and at this stage we have quite a number who we should take out individually.
The activity would not have been possible without the assistance and support of Vattenfall, which enabled us to engage and assist vulnerable people within the communities targeted to enable their participation” – Frank Long Three Valleys Nordic Walking
“I now look forward to my Friday walks with my new friends, it makes such a difference to my physical and emotional wellbeing as I live alone” – Ashley
The Fund was established by energy company Vattenfall to benefit the communities hosting the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm across the upper Neath, Afan, Rhondda and Cynon Valleys. It exists to support local people, groups and organisations to invest in themselves, their ideas and their communities.
The Community Fund has a substantial annual budget that is index-linked, meaning it increases in line with inflation. As an example, this equated to around £2.5 million in 2025. The Fund will continue to support communities until 2043, creating long-term opportunities for growth, resilience and positive change.
The Fund is managed by an independent, locally based not-for-profit Community Interest Company. It is overseen by a Board of Directors with strong local connections and delivered by a small but dedicated staff team with extensive community engagement experience. We are here to help ensure the Fund delivers on the vision and priorities of local communities.
Over the next 10 years, the Fund is focusing on investment in people, places and businesses — helping the Valleys to thrive, driving bold ideas, supporting transformation and creating lasting impact for current and future generations.