A church and charity have come together to help get people out and about to see the “beauty on our very own doorsteps".
The walking group was launched by the Get Up Keep Going Community Interest Company after they were brought together with Pastor Beth Ford of the Brownlow Fold Church of the Nazarene.
The groups were linked by the Halliwell Community Alliance, which launched last year, which also helped them access funding.
Get Up Keep Going director Sharon Bailey said: “We all took our socks and shoes off and learned about posture, breathing and the reason why it is so important to be at one with nature and playing on the park and team games.
“One of the games we played was why the grass was warm in some places and not in others.
“We talked about the clouds, sky and all the beauty that surrounds us on our very own doorsteps.
"Over the following weeks we visited Queens Park, Moses Gate Country Park, Smithills, and Lancashire Wildlife trust.”
The intergenerational walks were planned by Sharon with her volunteers Phil, Oliver, Bernie and Ella and brought people together to learn about trees, plants and animals.
The six-week period had at first planned for a series of one-hour sessions, only to find that most overran to more than two hours.
Sharon said: “We often had tears from some of our younger walkers, because we had to go home!”
This was made possible after Sharon met with representatives from the Halliwell Community Alliance and applied for funding from the Growing the Good Fund.
Halliwell is one of several “pilot areas” for where a community alliance has been founded, which helps community groups and charities access funding and make connections.
Similar alliances are set to be rolled out across Bolton.
Cllr Rabiya Jiva, who represents Halliwell, said: “This is just one of many great examples of the real difference that our community alliance has made to people in our area.
“It’s wonderful to see people of all ages coming together like this and enjoy the great outdoors while learning about our wonderful landscape.
“I hope other community groups will draw inspiration from this and see for themselves that support is out there to help make their ambitions realities.”
The initiative has helped people improve their health and has helped to deepen the relationship between Get Up Keep Going and the Browlow Fold Church of the Nazarene.
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Pastor Beth Ford said: “As a church, we combined the walks with exploring our mental and physical wellbeing within our surroundings and from the perspective of our Christian faith.
“We were able to consider nature, how we interact with it, and how we have a responsibility to keep ourselves healthy and the world around us clean, tidy and safe for future generations.
“Our children combined the walks, and pond dipping with learning about creation and science, they’ve learned so much together and created a beautiful mural of the earth as well.”
Sharon has appealed for anyone who thinks their community could benefit from her group’s work to contact here be calling 07870379401 or emailing info@getupkeepgoingcic.co.uk.
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