Walks to remember at Belong Macclesfield

Active residents at Belong Macclesfield have created a series of accessible walks around the village, designed to encourage people living in the village and their families to enjoy the nature available on their doorstep.
82-year-old Pamela Hutton and other people living at Belong Macclesfield created and named a list of their favourite walks around the village and Fitness Instructor, Barbara Tait, decided on the top four. Signposts have been erected around the village and booklets printed for residents and visiting families, to encourage meaningful exercise.
Reg Manning, 94, a lifelong Macclesfield resident, takes the walks with his granddaughter, Nicola Newbigging, whenever she visits with his great grandchildren.
Nicola said: "It's great that Belong has such a lovely garden to enjoy, with flowers, vegetables and colour to stimulate my granddad. Three generations of our family have enjoyed quality time together following the new walks."
The four walks are graded for the different fitness levels of people in Belong Macclesfield, designed to be suitable for people with walking sticks, walking frames and even wheelchairs. Jan Norris, 99, who named the 'Surprise Rise' walk, is the oldest resident of Belong Macclesfield who regularly uses the walks in good weather. The walks were the brainchild of Fitness Instructor Barbara Tait, whose 'Independence through exercise' programme has won international acclaim for supporting older people through exercise in Macclesfield.
Barbara Tait said of the walks: "Regular exercise is incredibly beneficial for older people, in terms of helping people to maintain their independence, improve their overall wellbeing and even to prevent the onset of dementia. The families of people living at Belong Macclesfield find that the walks help to give purpose to their visits and our independent residents can follow the signs and maps by themselves when they want to get some fresh air."
Barbara is pictured on the village gardens with Pamela and Reg.