Green Exercise

Steps leading into Fulwell Quarry from Fulwell windmill

Groundwork North East and a range of partners got people fitter by increasing the number of people taking part in Green Exercise activities. This has helped to reduce the incidence of underlying health problems resulting from lack of exercise.

This Project is now completed.

Groundwork NE & Cumbria who led on the project started by forming a steering group in each of the local authority areas: South Tyneside; Sunderland; Durham and Hartlepool to map current activity and provision and identify opportunities for carrying out Green Exercise projects in each area.

Having identified a number of projects we presented these to the HLF, however there was difficulty from HLF defining the sort of green exercise projects they would fund, and those that Sport England or BIG lottery would fund. We eventually came to a working understanding that they would fund Green Exercise projects where:

We were improving the infrastructure that linked people and their heritage
We used the landscape as a place where people exercised and understood more about their heritage as a result of carrying out those activities
The exercise resulted in benefits for the heritage of the area

Having these working definitions we returned to the four steering groups to identify projects that fitted into these criteria

We improved key access routes at:

Fulwell Quarries Open Space – we installed steps next to the Fulwell Windmill and resurfaced a path between the Mill linking it with the lane leading to the Acoustic Mirror and Carley Hill Earth Heritage SSSI. We also created new access routes around the Local Nature Reserve in the centre of the Fulwell Quarries area
Easington Village a footpath was identified by the Durham County Council’s prioritisation exercise as a key route within the settlement, linking housing areas with the historic centre of the Village including the Green, Seaton Holme and the Church. The footpath was resurfaced in early 2013
Dawdon Dene was also identified as a key route linking areas of housing to the Dene and Dalden Tower, this too was resurfaced in April 2013
From the Durham prioritisation exercise there was a route identified linking High Heselden and Blackhall Colliery where we were doing Coastal Grassland works with a footpath a mile or so back from the coast
Finally from the prioritisation exercise was a bridleway in Murton linking a livery business with the main bridleway network, again this required resurfacing. The work was completed in February 2013
As a result of discussions with Ray Armbrister from St Mary the Virgin Church, we identified the path that linked the Coast, the Church, Seaham Hall Dene and New Drive in Seaham as a path requiring resurfacing and signage. The opportunity arose to bring this project into the programme and it was completed in early 2015

We have also organised the following events:

Big Lime Triathlon in Sunderland (2012) and Hartlepool (2013). The Sun City and Hartlepool Big Lime Triathlons have been held each year since
Big Lime Walk 2012 in Hartlepool and in Durham in 2013

England Coastal Path interpretation improvements

In Sunderland between Ryhope Dene and Wearmouth Bridge. We also improved the signage for the Coastal Path in South Shields.

Training Courses

Heritage skills for walk leaders in South Tyneside
Nordic walking training in South Shields and Durham
Cycle leadership training in Durham
Running leader training in Hartlepool
Healthy Heritage courses for schools and play groups at Summerhill Country Park
“Fit Mama’s” post-natal training in Hartlepool
Disabled cycles training and loan at the Summerhill Country Park
Houghall College training programme in Conservation Skills

We have established regular ‘Park Runs’ in both South Tyneside along the coast and in Hartlepool between three parks.

Contact Information

For more information contact Lucy Chapman at Groundwork North East:

Tel: 01207 524 803

Email: lucy.chapman@groundwork.org.uk