I look forward to getting out of the house for my Sensory Walk every week
David has a visual impairment, and some other health conditions that affect his mobility. He uses a cane and needs a little extra support when he’s out and about.
But David absolutely loves heading outside to meet with some friends and get those steps in. He joins Sense every week for a Sensory Walk. Here, he explains why these walks mean so much to him.
Sensory Walks are absolutely brilliant! It gets me out of the house and helps with loneliness. I love them and look forward to them each week.
I get to meet new people and make friends. We often have a good laugh.
We go to a brilliant variety of places, some I’ve never been to before. We are always made very welcome.
The walks get me out on a regular basis. I enjoy the fresh air. The weather doesn’t bother me, even the rain, I just enjoy being out.
The exercise is important too. It gets my limbs mobile and working.
“Sometimes it is challenging, and I get tired, but I always enjoy the social aspect and I always have a good time.”
David
Also, it helps improve my relationship with my carer. She is brilliant and we get to walk together in a change of environment. I love being out in the countryside.
I struggle with my breathing, but we go at a pace I can deal with. Sometimes it is challenging, and I get tired, but I always enjoy the social aspect and I always have a good time.
We usually end up in a café afterwards for a coffee, and there I feel I can talk openly amongst friends. So much better than a pub where it can get loud, and I find them intimidating and make me feel vulnerable.
Sensory Walks are ideal for me. I can’t do the other activities that are on offer with Sense. I can’t swim so I don’t want to go out on a boat. I can’t skate, my balance is not good. I know that if I climbed you would help me, but I don’t have the confidence any more to try that.
But the walks are ideal. I can cope with them, and I look forward to them every time. They are the highlight of my week.
Thanks to Sport England, we can run even more Sensory Walks
We’re thrilled to say that Sport England recently decided to award us £2.2 million in funding until 2027.
This is specifically to support our sports activities for disabled people. So we’ll be there to support David and any other disabled people who want to walk, swim, cycle, play football – or whatever they want to do!
We’ll also be focusing on developing even more relaxed ways of being active, to support people like David.
If you or someone you care for would like to try one of our activities, check out our activity finder today.