Support for businesses

We’ve partnered with Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, to help us support workplaces across West Yorkshire who are aiming to build and embrace a culture of walking.

We’re offering a package of activities that help tackle barriers to walking, and create opportunities for more people to walk more often.

By taking part, your workplace will be taking steps towards improving the health and well-being of your employees and will be on its way to realising some of the proven benefits, such as increased productivity and reduced absenteeism.

Figures produced by Living Streets show that when employees take part in regular exercise it typically results in a performance boost of about 15%.

Boosting morale and job satisfaction among staff is also a key benefit, with the same figures showing that a highly engaged workforce can improve operating income by up to 19.2%.

As part of the package you will receive expert advice and support, starting with an initial consultation to agree the best approach for your organisation.

The offer includes:

• training for a number of staff to become ‘Walk Champions’ – ambassadors for walking who will lead on future walking initiatives
• a four-week workplace communications package to inspire staff to make an achievable walking pledge

Further activities could include on-site events, bespoke walking maps, led walks and walking street audits, subject to coronavirus restrictions being lifted over the coming months.

Please contact us to register your interest at cityconnect@westyorks-ca.gov.uk. 

Fancy learning how to become a more walk friendly organisation?

We caught up with our expert panel on 18 August 2021 on the benefits of walking and running as part of the working day, and the support available to help organisations become walk and run friendly.

We were joined by:

o Rebecca Brasich – Workplace project coordinator for Living Streets

o Priti Gohil - Advanced Health Improvement Practitioner, Kirklees Council

o Kaysie McLean - Service Manager, Business Support – Travel Plan Network, West Yorkshire Combined Authority

o Dr Gemma Bridge – Leeds Running Mayor

o Danny Bulmer – Founder of Good Footing CIC