Walk The Port To Step Out Again Next Year
With over 100 people taking part in the first Walk the Port event, Newport City Council has announced that this will now become an annual event.
Even with challenging weather conditions to contend with, 125 people turned up on Saturday 3 September to take part in a series of walk challenges.
There were short walks suitable for families with younger children which ranged in distance from 1.5 mile to 4.5 mile led walks, and for those wanting to go even further there were two more led walks of nine and 16 miles.
All routes started and ended at the Active Living Centre, next to Newport High School in Bettws, and provided stunning surroundings that let walkers enjoy Newport’s varied countryside.
The event was sponsored by several groups and organisations including:
- Newport City Council
- Let’s Walk Cymru
- South Gwent Ramblers
- Newport Live
- Walk Newport
- Newport Outdoor Group
- Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA)
- The Sparkle Appeal
- Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
- Tesco
This partnership event received many positive comments from participants including how good the signage was, while the choice of routes was praised for including a mixture of hills and flat paths.
One walker said: “I had not realised how much brilliant scenery there was so close to town” and another said they had enjoyed “discovering parts of Newport we didn’t know existed”. Everyone enjoyed meeting other walkers from across the city.
Councillor Deb Harvey, Newport City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said she was very pleased at the success of the first event, and delighted it will now take place annually.
“From the comments of the many walkers who took part it is great to see that some people saw parts of the city they never knew existed.
“This was a fantastic achievement for everyone involved who turned out in poor weather but still enjoyed themselves.
“We want people in Newport to be fit and healthy, and if we can help by organising events with our sponsors and partners to get people out and about then even better.
“We look forward to even more people signing up next year,” said Councillor Harvey.
Councillor Roger Jeavons, Newport City Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services, Works and Skills, who is a keen supporter of the event said:
“This was a great opportunity for people to enjoy some of the more rural areas of Newport, whilst at the same time taking the chance to get a new perspective of the city. Well done to all who completed their walk, I hope that you will come back and Walk the Port again next year.”
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