A Freshwalks schedule for the lockdown

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE (30 JULY 2020):

In light of lockdown restrictions steadily easing, our walks are now back up and running – with safety precautions in place to protect the health and safety of our attendees.

Freshwalks are regularly reviewing the latest government guidance and updating our risk assessments to reflect any changes. Ahead of your walk, we will provide a strict set of instructions to be abided regarding social distancing, travelling to the venue and ensuring that all our attendees feel safe and comfortable. It is important that you read and respect these rules, before taking part in any Freshwalks events.

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Following last Monday’s momentous lockdown announcement from the Prime Minister, all Freshwalks events across the next three weeks were postponed with immediate effect. Once the dust had settled, we flipped our programme on its head, replacing our very physical schedule with an entirely virtual one, offering social, business advisory, networking and city tour opportunities.

It’s surely worth a go? This is what we’ve got planned across the next few weeks.

Freshwalks Community Virtual Mastermind Groups (various times)

In collaboration with Know+Do we’re pleased to offer this free opportunity to support each other in response to the pandemic. A mastermind group is a small focused peer-to-peer support group that meets once a week (60mins) for 6 weeks using an online platform. Each group has an organiser who moderates the group and ensures progress. Week by week the group explores issues, share ideas and supports each other. At the end of 6 weeks the group debriefs and shares learning. Groups can either disband or reboot for another 6 weeks.

The groups work best with a shared theme, suitable peers, safe and honest conversation and a simple structure to ensure they provide impact and value. More info here.

We’ve already formed four working groups and are building new ones continually.

Get involved by emailing Michael Di Paola (Michael@freshwalks.co.uk)

Freshwalks City Virtual Walks (every Thursday 12.30pm)

The first walks we postponed were our guided Freshwalks City tours that require a high degree of intimacy in previously busy and noisy city-centre locations. We didn’t think social distancing was possible even before the PM shut everything down. However, we’re running a pilot virtual Manchester city centre event this Thursday lunchtime to an already sold-out audience and all being well, will look to roll this format out over the coming weeks.

More details soon. Register via Eventbrite. Join tours on Zoom.

Freshwalks Steps Challenge (Every Friday)

There’s been plenty of debate around what is and isn’t safe in terms of walking outside and social distancing but we think this advice from Living Streets is spot on. The official directive is one form of exercise per day with the caveat “even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.”

For those of us used to walking anything upto 30km on a Friday alone, this vague direction does present something of a challenge and a grey area. Ultimately, it’s down to every individual to apply common sense – interpreting exercise relative to your norm and also where you live.

What we absolutely can do is aggregate and celebrate the walking efforts our community is still going to, accessing nature or urban wilderness creatively from your front door and those steps you are still racking up.

We won’t suggest a target figure this Friday but let’s share those steps, share those photos and perhaps look to beat that number next Friday by expanding the group.

Please post on social media (Twitter or Instagram) using #FWSteps

Freshwalks Community Social (Fridays from 4pm)

And what about after your Friday stroll?

Our traditional post-walk Friday pub visits can no longer happen so we invite all Freshwalkers to wrap up the working week, grab a drink (whatever your tipple is), and join us for an informal, online social gathering. Light on work chat but please do share any good news stories, the objective being to head into the weekend in high spirits and catch up with Freshwalkers you might not see face to face for a number of weeks yet.

FREE to join. Limited places.
Please register on Eventbrite so we can manage numbers and share the link in a private, safe space.

We’re hoping the above new formats will harness the collective spirit of the Freshwalks community for mutual benefit, creating optimism and building resilience in this temporary new world we’re experiencing.

Whether you’re a past, present or even future Freshwalker, now is a great time to get involved with the other wonderful people who regularly join us.

Zoom soon, I guess. Stay safe.

Michael.