The charity making life better by water

Active Waterways Cheshire

Active Waterways Cheshire is a Sport England funded programme to get you up and about and enjoy the beauty of canals and rivers on your doorstep.

We've teamed up with Sport England, through The National Lottery funding, to encourage people to get more active by offering an online programme and a guided walking programme.

What is the Active Waterways Cheshire project?

We know that life can be busy and complicated and we're not always able to make the time to get active and look after our bodies and minds.

This is where we come in. We want to help everybody get active and feel better by water and so we've teamed up with Sport England to put on a three-year project to increase the activity levels of Cheshire residents over the age of 55 who live near our canals and rivers.

There are two types of programme:

Guided walking programme: These walks are at a slow and steady pace for beginners, no more than 40 minutes in length. We arrange small groups of up to 12 participants led by experienced walk leaders.

Online programme: We run small groups on our online sessions for those who don't feel comfortable going out in groups or are otherwise unable to get out.

Some of you may have lost confidence going out or may have health conditions that have prevented you from taking part in certain activities. We work with you before the programme starts to make sure the programme is right for you.

Guided Walks Programme

All of our programmes are run by our friendly staff and volunteers, many of whom have experience of working by the waterways or are boaters themselves, so they are very passionate about what they do. We are trained to lead group walking activities in small groups, and can include other activities as part of the programme. We have various locations spread across Cheshire, where we run the guided walks on a weekly basis.

The programme runs for 12 weeks and gradually reintroduces you to gentle activity, giving you the support you need to start your journey, and an opportunity to meet new people in your area. Walks are suitable for people who want to build up to a maximum of 40 minutes of activity.

Registrations for the Active Waterways winter 2021/2022 programme are now closed. There are no further programmes scheduled for new participants.

Walking by the canal

Online Programme

Our online programme is run by our staff and volunteers and is suitable for people who have access to a computer, who want to take part in activities in a small group. We encourage you to join us to help increase your activity levels and improve your health and wellbeing in a supportive setting.

The online programme is 12 weeks in length, running at the same time and day every week. It gives you an opportunity to learn about health and wellbeing, history and nature of the canals, and encourages you to take part in group activities on the call and to go out walking in your own time. For those of you who are unable to get out, you can attend the online programme which would encourage you to become more active within your own home or garden.

How can I join the online or guided walks programme?

There are no futher programmes scheduled for new participants at this time.

You can email us at [email protected] or call us on 07990 612700 to find out more information. One of the Active Waterways team will contact you to discuss the project.

Last Edited: 15 September 2023

photo of a location on the canals
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