wtww challenge information sheets
We challenge you to...
Employee challenge 1
Walk to work It may feel like it would be quicker to jump in the car, but in reality people often underestimate how long it takes them to travel by car and overestimate the time it would take them to walk. We realise that whilst walking all the way to work is possible for some, for others this may not be so easy. So, in this challenge, we’re just asking you to walk at least 15 minutes as part of your journey in to work or, if you can, all of your journey to work. “The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy, walk and be healthy.” Charles Dickens
• On average, it takes 15-20 minutes to walk a mile. • When you walk as part of your commute, you’re automatically building exercise into you day so you can avoid some of those dreaded, time-consuming trips to the gym! • If you normally take public transport, why not walk on to the next stop or two? It could save you money. • If you drive, park a little further away than usual or try a mixture of public transport and walking. • Many online route planners now give walking directions. We have a list of the best route planners for walkers (www.walkingworks.org.uk/walking-and-you/finding-your-way). Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week. Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
Credit: Dave Charnley
Here are some top tips to start your day on the right foot:
We challenge you to...
Employee challenge 2
Walk from work Give yourself a chance to unwind after work by walking all or part of your journey home. Our natural instinct when we are born is to get on our feet, but as we get older it is easy to forget that natural instinct and the benefits it brings as we are lured into a faster and more expensive way of life. So, give yourself some breathing space and walk. For some people, walking all the way home from work is not so easy so this challenge asks you to fit 15 minutes or more of walking into your commute home. “All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see things whole.” Hal Borland Here are some tips for making your walk home more interesting: • Invite your colleagues to walk to a café or pub 15 minutes or more away and discover a new ‘local’. • Get off public transport a stop early, or start your journey home with a 15 minute walk and then catch public transport. • Find a colleague who’s heading in a similar direction and walk together. • Make the most of the lighter evenings and become a tourist in your own town – meet a friend and explore on foot • Scope out various routes for the other challenges, e.g. walking meetings or lunchtime walks. Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week. Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
We challenge you to...
Employee challenge 3
Walk at lunchtime Having lunch ‘al desko’ – we’re all guilty of it occasionally. But this Week we want you to make a point of getting out and about at lunchtime by going on a walk that lasts at least 30 minutes. Explore your local area, visit a nearby green space, or just run some errands. The fresh air and break from the office should energise you for the afternoon. “Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” Henry David Thoreau Here are some top tips to get you started: • Established lunchtime walks may already be happening in the area around your workplace. Check your local council website or search the internet for “lunchtime walk + your town or city”. • Ask your boss to circulate an email encouraging people to take a walk during lunch. That way you can avoid any guilty feelings that you shouldn’t be having as we all deserve a proper lunch break. • Organise a local walking tour for your team’s lunch break. Contact your local tourist office to see if they can suggest some walks or provide a tour guide if there are enough of you. • Create a visual ‘walk-zone’ that has your workplace as the central point of interest. Plot out a circle around your workplace to show how far the average person could walk in 15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc. Then ask colleagues to plot their favourite lunchtime places within your ‘walk-zone’ – you’ll soon have enough ideas for new places to visit to keep you going all year! Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week. Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
We challenge you to...
Employee challenge 4
Hold a walking meeting Many people assume that serious conversations must take place within the confines of four walls. In reality, the most creative moments take place outside of it. Call a walking meeting and you’ll get a change of scenery, shift your energy, get some fresh air and burn a few calories too. You’ll quickly work out what types of people and meetings can go walkabout, but if you are a bit unsure, arrange to meet for coffee, suggest getting your drinks ‘to go’ and take it from there so everyone feels comfortable. Bring a small notepad to jot down actions from the meeting and as with any good meeting, at the end of your walk recap and identify what needs to happen next. “Thoughts come clearly while one walks” Thomas Mann Here are some top tips to get you started: • Walking meetings are best with 2 or 3 participants. • Assign one person to be a ‘scribe’ and put them in charge of capturing actions. • Designate someone to navigate and give them the job of picking a suitable route (so there is no squabbling en route!). • The best routes will be those where it won’t be too noisy or crowded, so investigate local parks or other quiet spots as possible places to walk and talk. • Have a few ‘stationary’ minutes at the end of your walk to de-brief and review any action points. Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week. Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
We challenge you to...
Employee challenge 5
Walk to a meeting Whether you’re visiting a client, meeting with an agency or travelling to a site, we want you to think about how you could walk all or part of the way there. Walking is a great way to get your mind working and get inspiration, so you’ll be on top form and feeling motivated for your meeting when you arrive. So try and plan a route that means you’ll be walking for 15 minutes or more as part of your journey. “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking” Friedrich Nietzsche
• Make the most of the opportunity to explore the local area around your or their site and see what other businesses are located there and what they are doing. • Use your walking time to think ahead to your meeting and allow yourself to be inspired and think creatively. • Ask the person you are visiting for tips on places of interest near where they work or advice on routes. • Check our list of online route planners for walkers to get any directions you need (www.walkingworks.org.uk/walkingand-you/finding-your-way). • Get them walking too by meeting you at a prearranged spot so you can walk to the meeting together. Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week.
Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
Credit: Dave Charnley
Here are some ideas to make the most out of your walk:
Employee challenge 1
Walk to work It may feel like it would be quicker to jump in the car, but in reality people often underestimate how long it takes them to travel by car and overestimate the time it would take them to walk. We realise that whilst walking all the way to work is possible for some, for others this may not be so easy. So, in this challenge, we’re just asking you to walk at least 15 minutes as part of your journey in to work or, if you can, all of your journey to work. “The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy, walk and be healthy.” Charles Dickens
• On average, it takes 15-20 minutes to walk a mile. • When you walk as part of your commute, you’re automatically building exercise into you day so you can avoid some of those dreaded, time-consuming trips to the gym! • If you normally take public transport, why not walk on to the next stop or two? It could save you money. • If you drive, park a little further away than usual or try a mixture of public transport and walking. • Many online route planners now give walking directions. We have a list of the best route planners for walkers (www.walkingworks.org.uk/walking-and-you/finding-your-way). Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week. Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
Credit: Dave Charnley
Here are some top tips to start your day on the right foot:
We challenge you to...
Employee challenge 2
Walk from work Give yourself a chance to unwind after work by walking all or part of your journey home. Our natural instinct when we are born is to get on our feet, but as we get older it is easy to forget that natural instinct and the benefits it brings as we are lured into a faster and more expensive way of life. So, give yourself some breathing space and walk. For some people, walking all the way home from work is not so easy so this challenge asks you to fit 15 minutes or more of walking into your commute home. “All walking is discovery. On foot we take the time to see things whole.” Hal Borland Here are some tips for making your walk home more interesting: • Invite your colleagues to walk to a café or pub 15 minutes or more away and discover a new ‘local’. • Get off public transport a stop early, or start your journey home with a 15 minute walk and then catch public transport. • Find a colleague who’s heading in a similar direction and walk together. • Make the most of the lighter evenings and become a tourist in your own town – meet a friend and explore on foot • Scope out various routes for the other challenges, e.g. walking meetings or lunchtime walks. Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week. Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
We challenge you to...
Employee challenge 3
Walk at lunchtime Having lunch ‘al desko’ – we’re all guilty of it occasionally. But this Week we want you to make a point of getting out and about at lunchtime by going on a walk that lasts at least 30 minutes. Explore your local area, visit a nearby green space, or just run some errands. The fresh air and break from the office should energise you for the afternoon. “Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” Henry David Thoreau Here are some top tips to get you started: • Established lunchtime walks may already be happening in the area around your workplace. Check your local council website or search the internet for “lunchtime walk + your town or city”. • Ask your boss to circulate an email encouraging people to take a walk during lunch. That way you can avoid any guilty feelings that you shouldn’t be having as we all deserve a proper lunch break. • Organise a local walking tour for your team’s lunch break. Contact your local tourist office to see if they can suggest some walks or provide a tour guide if there are enough of you. • Create a visual ‘walk-zone’ that has your workplace as the central point of interest. Plot out a circle around your workplace to show how far the average person could walk in 15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc. Then ask colleagues to plot their favourite lunchtime places within your ‘walk-zone’ – you’ll soon have enough ideas for new places to visit to keep you going all year! Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week. Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
We challenge you to...
Employee challenge 4
Hold a walking meeting Many people assume that serious conversations must take place within the confines of four walls. In reality, the most creative moments take place outside of it. Call a walking meeting and you’ll get a change of scenery, shift your energy, get some fresh air and burn a few calories too. You’ll quickly work out what types of people and meetings can go walkabout, but if you are a bit unsure, arrange to meet for coffee, suggest getting your drinks ‘to go’ and take it from there so everyone feels comfortable. Bring a small notepad to jot down actions from the meeting and as with any good meeting, at the end of your walk recap and identify what needs to happen next. “Thoughts come clearly while one walks” Thomas Mann Here are some top tips to get you started: • Walking meetings are best with 2 or 3 participants. • Assign one person to be a ‘scribe’ and put them in charge of capturing actions. • Designate someone to navigate and give them the job of picking a suitable route (so there is no squabbling en route!). • The best routes will be those where it won’t be too noisy or crowded, so investigate local parks or other quiet spots as possible places to walk and talk. • Have a few ‘stationary’ minutes at the end of your walk to de-brief and review any action points. Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week. Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
We challenge you to...
Employee challenge 5
Walk to a meeting Whether you’re visiting a client, meeting with an agency or travelling to a site, we want you to think about how you could walk all or part of the way there. Walking is a great way to get your mind working and get inspiration, so you’ll be on top form and feeling motivated for your meeting when you arrive. So try and plan a route that means you’ll be walking for 15 minutes or more as part of your journey. “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking” Friedrich Nietzsche
• Make the most of the opportunity to explore the local area around your or their site and see what other businesses are located there and what they are doing. • Use your walking time to think ahead to your meeting and allow yourself to be inspired and think creatively. • Ask the person you are visiting for tips on places of interest near where they work or advice on routes. • Check our list of online route planners for walkers to get any directions you need (www.walkingworks.org.uk/walkingand-you/finding-your-way). • Get them walking too by meeting you at a prearranged spot so you can walk to the meeting together. Remember: 1. How the challenges work: We’ve set five challenges to inspire you, and it’s up to you how many you take part in. Do one, two or all of them – or fit walking into your week in your own special way! 2. Keep track of which challenges you’ve completed by going to your personalised homepage at www.mylivingstreets.org.uk and earn virtual rewards to show off to your colleagues. 3. Tell us your story: we’d love to hear how you got on during the Week. Email [email protected] to tell us about anything unusual, exciting or different that has happened to you as a result of Walk to Work Week.
Living Streets (The Pedestrians Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SC039808 (Scotland), Company Limited by Guarantee (England & Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409. Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street. E1 7SA
Credit: Dave Charnley
Here are some ideas to make the most out of your walk:
