Rediscovering People's Park

Tazim Akhtar - 54, Park Ward

Before joining the walking group, I wasn’t very active apart from looking after my grandchildren. I spent a lot of time at home, and because I enjoy sewing, much of my day involved sitting down. Over time, this led to weight gain as well as back problems and general aches and pains.

When I was younger, I was always active, but as I’ve gotten older, that has changed. I realised I needed to start moving more again, otherwise my health would continue to get worse.

I heard about the Himmat walking group and decided to join with my friends. There are four of us in total, and we now make plans to attend every week. Since joining, we’ve made even more friends, and walking together has become something we really enjoy. We’ve even started arranging walks outside of the group because it’s such a nice way to spend time together.

We used to visit People’s Park a lot when our children were younger, especially during the Mela, but it has been a long time since we’ve been back. It’s lovely to see some of the new additions, and it’s especially encouraging to see so many other women using the park. In the past, that wasn’t the case, as it was mostly men who went out walking.

Having a women-only group has made a big difference. Some weeks, there are just a few people, while other times, there are many more, and it’s great to see new faces joining.

I always feel happier when I’m with my friends. We chat so much that we don’t even realise how far we’ve walked because we just end up talking and talking and talking. It’s a great way to pass the time while staying active.

"Walking has changed my life. Being outdoors, in nature, with good friends and lots of laughs - I really think everyone should join and try to walk more."

Since I started walking, I have spent far less time sitting down, which has really helped with my back pain. I do feel a bit more tired, but in a good way. I’m sleeping much better at night. More recently, my friends and I have started planning day trips where we can go walking together instead of just meeting at home.

Overall, I feel much happier.