How taking a walk has made a real difference to NI people’s lives

As a new website is launched listing hundreds of popular walks across the province, three people tell Stephanie Bell of the true benefits of getting outdoors

Finding a scenic walk in Northern Ireland has just got a whole lot easier with the launch of a new website by Walk NI. For the first time people will be able to use their mobile phones to access a digital map showing hundreds of popular walks for all abilities right across the province.

Every day of every week small armies of walkers are putting their best foot forward to walk for their physical and mental health.

Walk NI, an initiative supported by local councils, has mushroomed with weekly walking groups set up in most towns and villages in Northern Ireland.

And in an effort to encourage even more people to pull on their boots and get out into the fresh air, the new website has been packed full of inspirational content.

Already used by more than half a million walkers every year, Walkni.com has been created to make planning your next walk not only easy but also enjoyable.

Jayne Woodrow, marketing officer for Outdoor Recreation NI who manages Walkni.com, said: “The first thing about our new website is that it is finally mobile friendly.

“The second is that we have redesigned the website with the experiences and the opinions of the walkers at the heart of it.

“This includes live links to your favourite #WalkNI moments from Instagram, a ‘review this walk’ feature and the ability to report any problems you encounter to land managers.”

We caught up with three regular walkers to find out what difference getting out regularly in the fresh air has made to their lives.