From Alan Forrester:
Busy, busy, busy!
My wee Fiesta has been a one-seater for some time now. It
seems to be permanently filled with boxes, boots, waterproofs and
hi-vis vests these days. Last week - Monday was a recce day
for the Green Action Project in Falkirk, Tuesday was the induction
day for new project Woods & Canals on Prescription based at
Auchinstarry Basin, near Kilsyth.
Wednesday was canal walk day with an Edinburgh primary school in
the Blue Motion Project, Thursday, another school walk and finally
on Friday it was Green Action Kilsyth.
The participants in Woods & Canals are middle-aged to elderly
and all suffer some form of long-term medical condition. The
project aims to encourage them to get out and get active more and
to that end, they will undertake a series of 12 walking and forest
activity sessions.
Yesterday was their first action day and they all absolutely loved
it! Kitted out in safety boots, waterproofs and hi-vis, they
enjoyed a canal walk, learned how to use a Kelly kettle in the
woods and composed a joint poem celebrating the outdoors.
They were as high as kites walking back, as excited as the children
I take on walks.
One lady told me she had lived only 2 or 3 miles away for almost
40 years and never knew the basin or woodland was there. Few
if any of this group would venture along the canal or into the
woods on their own so it was very satisfying to see them explore
and revel in the waterway and woodland environment right on their
doorsteps. I overheard one lady saying, "Just wait till I get
back and tell my pals what they've missed"!
Woods & Canals is jointly delivered by The Waterways Trust
Scotland and Forestry Commission Scotland.