To relieve the needs of people experiencing or at risk of poor mental health, in particular but not exclusively by:

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• Providing recreational/leisure time activities provided in the interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life;

• Practical advice, support and signposting to other organisations when required;

• Educating the wider public on mental health through the distribution of material produced by expert organisations.

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Talking Group:

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We run a peer to peer talking group called "Let's Be There" in support of mental well being. This meets in Mansfield Woodhouse every Tuesday evening. Please click here for details.

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Walks and Outdoor Activities:

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All of our walks are split into different categories as per below, each with a full explanation so that you can decide if they will be suitable for your fitness and ability levels. The walks range from short strolls suitable for young children to more advanced hikes. If you have any difficulties due to disability or struggles with your mobility, you will need to contact us to discuss the suitability of the proposed walk for you. John Bell (Charity Director) will be leading all our walking groups.

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All of our groups are provided free of charge. The only exception to this principle is an occasional small charge for children’s activities which you would need to purchase from the relevant visitor centre or if you are car sharing with others only fair to share the cost of your journey. If this is the case, it will be made clear through each event post, our Facebook group and on this website.

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Voluntary donations are welcomed on all walks and events.

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Wednesday Well-Being walks - These are low level walks local to and around the Mansfield and Ashfield areas, ranging from 3-8 miles with options of some of them to do shorter or longer routes. As the charity grows we hope to start getting the occasional Wednesday walk out to the peak district to support people building up their confidence for more challenging terrain and beautiful views our national parks have to offer.

They are also a good opportunity for new group members to come and see us to see if we can support them or their friends and family in anyway. These will be predominantly flat routes but may have a slight incline.

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Family Activity walks - These walks will be based on providing fun activity games/trails aimed predominantly at young/primary school children, but fun for the entire family, they could range from 1-3 miles at a leisurely pace to allow the children to enjoy the activities.

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Family adventure hikes - These will be aimed at Adults and young people, younger children are okay to join if they are used to longer distances and you as their guardian are fully responsible for them and should seek advice from the group leader prior to joining. These can range from 4-8 miles approx and will be over terrain that is a little more challenging than a flat trail so anyone who struggles with mobility or any injuries, please seek advice first with the group leader.

 

Categorised hikes - These hikes could be of a wide range of different capabilities to suit different group dynamics, each one will have full details i.e. expert level scramble or a mountain challenge or men's well-being etc, and many more as our team and charity progresses.

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Our first main aim was to raise enough funding for a minibus, to take out larger groups of people to support them on well-being walks and events. This is now in use to support the charity's activities.

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Our next aim will be to raise enough money to purchase a sizeable plot of land for a base camp for Walking 4 Hope to run well-being groups and overnight camps.

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We hope that the purchased land will be located in Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire, as locally as possible to the Mansfield and Ashfield districts. This will be remote enough to give people a break from urban life, but close enough for convenient access. We hope to involve the local community in the development of the site; here is a list of some activities that we hope to provide:

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Well-being activities - We will encourage families and young people to work together to create a variety of practical and artistic projects eg shelters, buildings and small animal sculptures all made mainly from natural materials found on the site.

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Overnight camps - These will be aimed at families and include hammock camping, barbecues on open fires, shelter building and camping in shelters made from natural resources and tarpaulins.

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Bushcraft and outdoor cooking skills - We will teach a basic level of outdoor survival skill.

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In the longer term, we hope that Walking 4 Hope will be able to achieve the following goals:

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· to offer the use of our land to other charities and organisations to increase the range of well-being groups available.

· to network and research national resources in order to signpost people throughout the country to improve their resilience and mental well-being.

· to run a Mansfield town centre charity shop selling donated items.

· to provide a source of outdoor gear and clothing to allow people on a budget to participate in more ambitious walks and hikes.

· to become energy self-sufficient on the site, looking at options for providing our own wind, solar and if possible, water energy.

· to grow organic vegetables

 

We believe that with your help, Walking 4 Hope will develop into a truly special community organisation. Please get in touch with your suggestions and offers of support.

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John Bell's lifelong goal is to help people build resilience though nature, engaging them in activities to support well-being and encourage good mental health. While we do this together, we can have fun, enjoy one another's company and build healthy relationships with our friends, family and community.

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John Bell says: "I thank you sincerely from my heart for taking the time to read this and I look forward to hearing from you."