Two years strong for Northampton wellness walks bringing together women from ‘all walks of life’

A group established for women’s wellness walks recently celebrated two years, and the organiser says it has been “lovely to meet so many creative and interesting women from all walks of life”.

Walk Urban was first set up in May 2021 to encourage women who live in towns to go for walks, without the pressure of visiting picturesque green spaces.

The initiative was formed by award-winning businesswoman Salma Shah and Nicola Butler from Saints Coffee, as they recognised everyone had been through a “tough year” and “felt disconnected” after coming out of lockdown.

Salma, who recently rebranded what began as a granola business to focus on overall wellbeing, said: “The walking group was set up as a safe space for women to reconnect with others, no matter who they are and their experiences.”

The walks have continued to take place every other Sunday, starting at Saints Coffee in St Giles’ Street, having a wander around the town centre, and sometimes going as far as Beckets Park and the University of Northampton.

“It is all about the company, being social and getting your steps in,” Salma added.

When asked how it feels that the wellness walks have now been going for more than two years, the organiser says she had “no expectations” and it is “heartwarming” to see how far it has come.

Salma said: “It is a community and nice to be part of something that has uplifted and helped people feel good.”

Off the back of attending Walk Urban, many have formed friendships – particularly those who were new to the town and did not know anyone.

To celebrate the two year milestone, Salma hosted the first ‘sit down social’ where attendees did a number of wellbeing activities.

With food being a big part of Salma’s life and the success of her business, she made charcuterie boards for those who came along.

“Once you leave education – along with the pandemic and working from home – you are cut off from meeting new people,” said Salma. “This is a way to socialise.”

She hopes to hold more sit down socials moving forward, while ensuring they are as accessible as possible for people of all backgrounds.

The plan is also to introduce one-on-one walks to support women and “carry on creating a positive space to encourage them to walk in urban spaces”.

“It is easy to feel like you need to plan a walk, but it is just about socialising and getting the steps in,” Salma added.

Having run a poll on Instagram, Salma was alarmed to learn 80 percent of the women who responded do not feel safe going for a walk – and the aim is to work towards changing this.

Walk Urban does not require any commitment and women can drop in as and when they feel like it.

With around 10 to 15 who attend each session, Salma would love to welcome some new faces to the group to continue building on the last two years.

For more information, you can visit Walk Urban’s Instagram page here.