National Walking Day 26th September 2021 - A Celebration of Walking
Get Ireland Walking is calling on people across the country to join our National Walking Day 2021 and celebrate walking, which takes place on 26th September as part of European Week of Sport. Join us and #WalkHikeRunPushRoll on National Walking Day 2021 and make it a day where 100% of adults participate, and the kids too! Get Ireland Walking is supported by Healthy Ireland and Sport Ireland and hosted by Mountaineering Ireland.
To find out more visit: www.getirelandwalking.ie/nationalwalkingday2021
Opening the launch of this year’s event – Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Frank Feighan T.D. said: “I’m delighted to open National Walking Day, 2021. Walking is a great way to get some exercise into your day and supports positive mental health, as well as physical fitness. It’s a form of exercise that most of us can participate in, regardless of fitness levels. Getting out for a walk has kept many of us going during the Covid-19 pandemic, and I’m delighted to see so many people participating, particularly as we now know that being sufficiently active provides some protection against severe outcomes from Covid-19 infection as well as from chronic disease. So please take the opportunity to get out there and get active on National Walking Day!”
Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, John Treacy added: “I am delighted to support National Walking Day as part of European Week of Sport 2021. Last year a huge number of people turned to walking as a form of exercise and stress reliever. This year we are able to enjoy walking in new places and with new faces. I encourage everyone to embrace the opportunity and get out and walk during European Week of Sport and in particular on September 26th”.
Murrough McDonagh, CEO with Mountaineering Ireland, the host of Get Ireland Walking and National Governing Body for hillwalkers and climbers is looking forward to lacing up his boots on September 26th.”We have seen first-hand the positive impact that walking and hiking has had on our psychical health and wellbeing over the past 18 months. The people on the island of Ireland took to walking and hiking in great numbers during this period and continue to do so to date and they have emersed ourselves in the outdoors, exploring their local areas, the forests, hills and mountains. We encourage all our members and clubs to get out and support National Walking Day 2021. Let’s stay safe, safe active and enjoy the day with our family and friends”.
Programme Manager with Get Ireland Walking, Jason King is excited about this year’s campaign. “We set the bar really high last year though a very effective social media campaign and our partners nationally really helped carry the message across their networks. With county restrictions in place, last years campaign was about walking from our doorsteps, within our communities and utilising local amenities and hidden gems. This year our island is more accessible, with more to explore and more friends and loved ones to share in it. We want to celebrate all things walking related and have dedicated walking themed days leading up to the National Walking Day on Sunday 26th of September. Our ambassadors, walking groups, amenities and stories will feature throughout the week and RTE’s Nationwide will bring it all together on Friday the 24th, two days before the event. We hope everyone on the island who can participate, do, and celebrate with us, the activity of walking for all the wellbeing and life enhancing benefits it provides us with”.
Our week of celebrations of walking starts Monday 20th September:
Monday 20th September | Ways to Walk Day we will celebrate the many ways to walk there are.
Tuesday 21st September | Community Champions Day will acknowledge and celebrate the amazing walking and hillwalking groups that have done so much to promote the importance of being outdoors this year. We’ll be sharing the stories of people who promoted walking this year – our #CommunityChampions and celebrate their achievements!
Wednesday 22nd September | #HappyOut Mental Health Day This day will celebrate nature and the benefits of being outside and walking in a green space.
Thursday 23rd September | Accessibility & Inclusivity Day How accessible is Ireland to walk in? We’ll share multiaccess walks across the country to support people with mixed abilities in participating on National Walking Day.
Friday 24th September | Walk to Work/School/College Day We will be asking workplaces, schools and colleges to walk to work/school/college today. This is an opportunity for schools, colleges and workplaces to be environmentally friendly and add more activity to their travel today. RTE’s Nationwide also features on this day.
Saturday 25th September| Hidden Gems We will share #HiddenGems the length and breadth of Ireland.
Sunday 26th September | National Walking Day 2021
We want you, your club, and your organisation to participate during our week of celebrations.
How to Participate
Simply visit www.getirelandwalking.ie/nationalwalkingday2021
Celebrate & Share
Share a photo or video of your walk with us on social media. Tag @GetIreWalking onFacebook, Twitter and Instagram, your Local Sports Partnership and don't forget to use the hashtags #BeActive #NWD2021 #NationalWalkingDay21 #WalkHikeRunPushRoll #EWOS #WalkYourHills #LeaveNoTrace #OneFromTheHills #HappyHiking #SunSmart #HappyOut #NWDChampion #NWD21 #NationalWalkingDay #WalkHikeRunPushRoll
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Linda Sankey, Communications Officer 087 955 4672
Jason King, Programme Manager 087 2994687
Visit National Walking Day 2021 page!