Bracknell's 400 walks (nearly 8,000 km!) and counting

Sustrans project officer Mark Lyford is a local legend in Bracknell, Berkshire.

This spring we celebrate Mark personally leading 400 local Walks for Wellbeing to support physical and mental wellbeing through exercise.  

Funded by Bracknell Forest Public Health, this walking and wheeling project aims to tackle loneliness, help people get started with a healthier lifestyle and showcase some of the amazing routes in the local area. 

Wheeling refers to using a wheelchair or mobility scooter, or pushing a baby buggy.

Local MP Peter Swallow laces up his walking boots

The group has racked up around 2,000 attendances, including lots of returning walkers, in the two years that is has been running.

In January 2025, Bracknell MP Peter Swallow joined the group on one of their walks. 

Peter said: "I had the pleasure to attend one of Mark's Walks for Wellbeing at beautiful Lily Hill Park, on the run-up to his 400th walk in Bracknell.  

"It's clear from chatting with participants that they get a huge amount from attending the walks and many of them come along every week and also attend walks in different locations throughout the week.  

"Sustrans run six accessible local walks a week, working with the social prescribing team at Bracknell Forest Borough Council to bring in people from all over the area to enjoy a sociable walk. 

"The health and wellbeing benefits of these walks are clear, and I hope they can continue into the future.” 

We spoke to Peter about opportunities to discuss the health benefits of walking in parliament in the future. 

Every journey starts with a small step

In late 2022, Sustrans project officer Mark Lyford was working on a short-term walking and cycling project with Bracknell Forest Borough council. This caught the attention of a health commissioner at Bracknell Forest Public Health team.  

Launching their “Warm Hubs” in December that year, the Public Health team were looking for activities that local people could engage in to get out and about during winter.

These all ran from local hubs, and residents could take part in a variety of activities and have a hot drink afterwards. 

The Walk and Wheel for Wellbeing project launched that December, and the Public Health team accepted a proposal from Sustrans to run a longer term project for local communities in Bracknell. 

Walking the streets and rural paths

Bracknell is a planned town with a network of walking routes through both urban and more rural parts, connecting up the various residential areas with green space and amenities.

This made it a great place to enable people to walk more not only for the health and wellbeing benefits but also to make short-distance trips without needing access to a car. 

Free to access for Bracknell residents

There’s no need to book and the walks area completely free to residents.

Many of them start and end near cafes offering a warm, safe and social space.

Mark is a nature and history enthusiast and has been able to share his knowledge and passion with the participants.  

Providing a much-needed service

Mark soon knew that he was onto a good thing. At one of his first walks, a local resident who attended told Mark that this was the first activity she’d taken part in outside the home since the Covid pandemic.

Motivated by this story, Mark persevered with the walks, and momentum began to build.  

Ensuring the walks are accessible to all

Leading six walks a week, every week meant that the local community could find a time and location that worked for them.

Sustrans staff worked alongside other organisations to ensure that the offering was unique.

The walks are all around 2 miles in distance and taken at a leisurely pace to make them accessible to a wider community.

It was important that some of the routes are also accessible to pushchairs, wheelchairs or other mobility aids. 

Visit Bracknell Forest Public Health to find out more or check your local public health pages to see what opportunities there might be in your area to join regular health walks.