Wednesday 23rd August 2017 - Izzwalkz initiative

Posted 1:50pm

I have really been concentrating on our Izzwalkz project the last few days.  It is something I am very proud of, and the potential is huge.  We want to have at least five weekly health walks a week in the borough, in five different destinations.  In order to achieve this, we have applied for a small grant from Cloudesley - but to be honest we will find a way of doing it in some form if we do not get the money - but it will be quicker, and of a high quality if we can get the funding.

We will be partnering with several different relevant organisations in the borough, which will enable us to market each walk to the largest number of people.  I want people to think "Izzwalkz" when they think of a health walk. The dream is to have walks in maybe seven or eight venues every week - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. But that is for the future.

Meanwhile, we are running our successful one with Highbury Grange Medical Practice every Thursday in Clissold Park. And we are proposing a new walk in several places:

Highbury Fields - looking to partner with Islington Central Medical Centre - I have chatted with them in the past about this and they were very interested. There is a new operations manager there now, and I am hoping to meet up with Ryan very soon.

Finsbury Park - looking to partner with Park Pharmacy - they like to involve in the local community and their manager likes this kind of project very much.  It will also give us an opportunity to link with other pharmacies in the borough - and it is also close to Finsbury Park Job Centrre.

Whittington Park - looking to partner with Islington Mind, Age UK Islington, and Whittington Park Communitty Centre - it's  a great park near Upper Holloway, and even has an outdoor gym we can utilise.

Kings Cross - looking to partner with Single Homeless Project and Better Gyms.

We are also meeting up with the local NHS Health Trust and Public Health to discuss marketing these walks better.

I had to send in some more details to Cloudesley on several matters, and hopefully that is a sign that they are seriously thinking of awarding us the funding for a year to run these walks - it would be amazing, but I know how many organisations must apply each year so we need to be prepared to be told in the negative.  It would be fantastic for someone to see our potential and give us a chance though.