Walking the extra mile for Westbank to celebrate 21 years of Health Walks
A team of staff and volunteers from local charity Westbank Community Health and Care, who took on a fundraising challenge this month to collectively walk 360 miles - a distance equivalent to the circumference of Devon - have already exceeded their goal by walking more than 600 miles so far.
This month, Westbank is celebrating the 21st anniversary of its extensive Health Walks programme and Project Lead Debbie Hutchinson came up with the idea of linking all of the different routes by organising her ‘Walk for Westbank’ challenge. She has been joined on the various stages of her fundraiser by many of the charity’s Volunteer Health Walk leaders.
Debbie’s longest walk was her first one, starting with a 6 am departure from Bampton. She and her companions walked to Thorveton, clocking up 18.5 miles each.
The penultimate leg of the group challenge, walking from Westbank’s Healthy Living Centre in Exminster to Exeter city centre, was a very sociable one. Debbie left Exminster with three Volunteer Walk Leaders, met another two in Wonford and gathered up another eight people in Heavitree Park in Exeter before continuing to St. Sidwell’s Community Centre, where all the walkers enjoyed a well-deserved cream tea. St. Sidwell’s was the location from which Westbank’s first Health Walk began 21 years ago and has hosted a weekly city centre Health Walk ever since.
Resting her feet at St. Sidwell’s along with her four-legged walking companion, Aroha, Debbie said, “Every walk so far has been so different. We did two of our Mid Devon walks, a beautiful one around Eggesford on the Earl of Portsmouth’s land and another around Bow village. Midweek, we walked from Starcross to Exminster to highlight the activities Westbank provides in Starcross on Wednesdays. We also met up with the Broadcylst group, so it’s been an amazing week, and the support from our Volunteer Walk Leaders has been absolutely fantastic.
“We set out to walk the circumference of Devon, which we’ve already smashed. For me personally, this challenge has been about saying thank you to our Volunteer Walk Leaders too, because without them volunteering their time, whatever the weather, Westbank wouldn’t be able to put on the 21 organised weekly walks in the county that anybody can come along to. And we wouldn’t be celebrating our 21st birthday this month! Our longest-serving volunteer, Barbara Blyth, did the first Health Walk 21 years ago from St. Sidwell’s and her group still comes here every week for a hot drink after stretching their legs. That’s something to celebrate.”
Despite foot injuries, Debbie is determined to complete her ‘personal challenge’ of covering the route of every Westbank Health Walk in Devon during September. Her fundraising will also continue until the end of the month, and every donation will be gratefully received: https://www.westbank.org.uk/fundraisers/debbie-and-aroha-walking-for-westbank-
The charity is still encouraging people to undertake their own sponsored walks during September. Details can be found on the website: https://www.westbank.org.uk/appeal/walk-for-westbank-2025
To find out more about Health Walks at Westbank, visit: https://www.westbank.org.uk/healthwalks
