Spring walking festivals announced

Walking festivals are spreading across Britain and beyond this spring, with Greater Manchester launching more than 350 free events from May 1. (ilovemanchester.com) The Greater Manchester Walking Festival runs from May 1 to May 31 and is billed as the city region’s biggest celebration of walking and wheeling during National Walking Month. Organizers say the 2026 program includes guided walks and routes filtered for wheelchair access, buggy use, public transport links, and distance. (ilovemanchester.com) (gmwalking.co.uk) Greater Manchester Moving, the region’s active partnership, is coordinating the festival with community groups, charities and local organizations. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Connected Communities.” (ilovemanchester.com) Other places are building similar programs around May. North Somerset Council said its Walk Fest will run through the month with guided walks, health walks, walking sports and a workplace challenge for residents of different ages and abilities. (n-somerset.gov.uk) (northsomersettimes.co.uk) Some walking groups are also tying the activity to safety, not just exercise. The BBC reported that Women Only Walks, a Leicestershire group founded in 2024, received £8,000 to launch a safer walking program after building a community of more than 2,000 women. (bbc.co.uk) (yahoo.com) That focus comes as government agencies push councils to make streets feel safer for women and girls. Active Travel England said on March 25 that 88% of women surveyed had felt unsafe walking at night, and 71% had changed their route to avoid walking in the dark. (activetravelengland.gov.uk) Walking events are also being used to raise money. On Spain’s Costa del Sol, a women’s group is planning a 63-kilometer, two-day trek in May to fund research into DHDDS gene mutations, an ultra-rare neurological condition with no known cure. (euroweeklynews.com) Rare Disease Day says about 300 million people worldwide live with a rare disease, and small charities often rely on local fundraising to support research and care. That gives long-distance charity walks a role beyond recreation. (rarediseaseday.org) Greater Manchester’s festival has been running since 2015, according to GM Ringway, and this year’s listings show how far the format has expanded: heritage walks, wellbeing strolls, family routes and accessible wheeling sessions all sit in the same calendar. (gmringway.org) (gmwalking.co.uk) The common thread is simple: May’s walking calendars are no longer just about getting steps in. They are being organized as public health programs, neighborhood meetups, safety projects and fundraisers, one route at a time. (ilovemanchester.com) (n-somerset.gov.uk) (euroweeklynews.com)