Hertfordshire Health Walks Launches Toolkit for Health Professionals

The newly launched Hertfordshire Health Walks Toolkit provides healthcare professionals with a resource designed to support physical and mental wellbeing. The toolkit includes clear explanations of walk grades, links to up-to-date timetables, and access to printable promotional materials. It is particularly valuable for signposting patients who are inactive, socially isolated, or living with long-term health conditions—encouraging them to get outdoors, get active, and benefit from regular, supported walking in their community.

Hertfordshire Health Walks are run by the Countryside Management Service (CMS) of Hertfordshire County Council, in partnership with Public Health Hertfordshire and The Ramblers. Each week, they offer over 70 group walks across the county, open to everyone with no need to book. The walks cater to all abilities — from gentle 20–30-minute “First Steps” walks, ideal for those recovering from illness or new to exercise, to more challenging Grade 4+ routes lasting 90 minutes or more and including hills and stiles at a quicker pace. However, the aim is simple: to make walking safe, sociable, and accessible for all.

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How to use the toolkit

Healthcare professionals can get involved in Health Walks by referring patients using the free toolkit, encouraging or setting up local walks around their practices, and even training to become Health Walk volunteers or qualified walk leaders. By partnering with Hertfordshire Health Walks, GPs and social prescribers can help increase patients’ activity levels, improve wellbeing, and strengthen community connections.

To further enhance support, the toolkit also offers access to a digital waiting room graphic, SMS templates to help promote local walks, and tips for organising taster sessions — all designed to increase staff and patient engagement and build confidence to attend or refer to existing walks. It also outlines how staff can become Health Walk Champions or trained volunteer walk leaders, providing clear steps for practices that want to embed walking into their wider wellbeing strategies.

This initiative aligns closely with the Active Practice Charter; an accreditation for embedding physical activity into primary and secondary care put forward by The Royal College of GPs (RCGP). The Charter supports Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in integrating physical activity into routine healthcare, encouraging healthcare teams to promote movement as an essential element of patient care.

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Case Studies from local Primary Care Networks

Hatfield PCN have exemplified this approach through their close partnership with HHW. Staff have trained to become walk leaders or volunteers supporting patient care and involvement in local walks. They lead a walk from Friendship House, right round the corner form the surgery, making these walks accessible for local residents and patients.

Suzanne Brown from Hatfield PCN shares her volunteer journey and the physical and mental health benefits she has witnessed in patients here.

In Bishop’s Stortford, social prescribers have established a Health Walk starting at Hertfordshire and Essex Hospital, with many staff trained to lead walks across three local surgeries.

Dr. Jay Kuruvati praises the programme’s benefits:

"Walking with Hertfordshire Health Walks has reminded me of the great benefits something as simple as walking can have for all of us.  As well as being good for our fitness, it helps connect us with others and also with our natural environment.  It is also fun!”

 

The Upper Lea Valley Neighbourhood ICB lead, Hertford and Rurals PCN Mental Health Lead added highlights the value for patients facing significant health challenges:

“I see many of my patients who have significant challenges with their health, who need more than what we as medical professionals have traditionally been able to offer.  I know that HHW will benefit my patients, and the First Steps/Grade 1 walks are accessible to so many of them."

A local Health Walk volunteer, Dee shares how these walks benefit her socially and mentally:

“During the two years after I joined, I found Hertfordshire Health Walks helped me considerably with reintegration into society. It relieved my sense of isolation and loneliness and taught me self-care such as breathing techniques and improved my sense of self-esteem.”

Claudette Rhiney, Health Improvement Officer at Hertfordshire County Council, adds:

“Sharing a walk with someone is brilliant for emotional wellbeing and companionship. You can also set a goal and track your progress which provides a sense of achievement and boosts self-esteem. The release of endorphins you get from walking is good for stress, anxiety and depression, promoting feelings of happiness, improving your quality of sleep and improving mental health.”

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Download the toolkit here.

If you're interested in becoming an active practice or need more guidance on how to connect with partners such as Hertfordshire Health Walks, please get in touch with hsphealth@herts.ac.uk