Guided walks around Bath’s outskirts to improve mental and physical wellbeing are being included in the city’s ReBalance festival, which returns later this month.
Bathscape, the partnership promoting use of the natural landscape surrounding the city, will run a handful of guided walks during the three-week festival, offering residents and visitors the chance to be physically active while connecting with other people – two of the five key steps to improving mental wellbeing according to the NHS.
The ReBalance Bath was launched to great success last year by Bath Business Improvement District (BID) as a way of strengthening the city’s status as the UK’s number one spa destination.
The aim was to help position Bath as a ‘fun’ city with a strong emphasis on wellbeing and health built on its spa heritage while also creating activities for venues at a traditionally quiet time of year.
More than 150 events and activities were staged as part of the three-week programme, with 70-plus businesses and wellness practitioners taking part.
This year’s festival, which runs from 25 January to 18 February, will have an even more packed programme for residents and visitors to enjoy, including a wide range of free activities, workshops and taster sessions alongside luxury hotel packages and spa days.
Bath Urban Treescape will partner with Bathscape to lead two tree walks as part of the festival: the Winter Tree Identification Walk in the Botanical Gardens on 26 January from 11am to 12.30pm and Winter Trees in Victoria Park on 31 January from 10.30am to 12pm.
Walkers will be given tips on using branch structure, shape and bark to identify a tree, requiring them to pay attention to the present moment while learning a new skill – both of which are also key steps.
Bathscape will also be running its regular Monday evening Wellbeing Walks around the city centre during the festival.
The group meets at Laura Place for 6pm for an hour-long stroll around one of the local parks. Details of all the Bathscape walks and the full festival programme is on the ReBalance Bath website.
Bath & North East Somerset Council cabinet member for neighbourhood services, Cllr Tim Ball, said: “The health benefits of walking are numerous and joining one of these Bathscape guided walks is a wonderful way to improve your mood, increase your energy levels and meet new people, all while enjoying the beautiful parks and open spaces in our city.”
Evidence suggests a fifth step to improving mental health is by giving to others – as a result Bathscape is looking for additional volunteers to help lead a walk a couple of times a month, all year round.
Walks take place every day of the week, regardless of the weather and everyone who volunteers as a walk leader will be given free training.
Anyone interested can fill in the application form on the Bathscape website, email info@bathscape.co.uk or call 01225 477265.
New events lined up for this year’s ReBalance Bath festival include a ReBalancing Body Spa Day at Homewood Hotel at Freshford, Homegrown Healing Evenings at The Pig – near Bath at Hunstrete, Dream Odyssey VR meditation experiences at The Soul Spa and a wellbeing walk around the city with Bathscape Landscape Partnership.
Popular events returning from last year’s inaugural festival include laughter yoga with The Vitality Studio at The Roman Baths, a ReBalance Bath dance fiesta at Komedia, including a kids and family special, and ReBalance Bath jazz, soul & funk candle-lit evenings at Green Park Brasserie.
Bathscape’s work is largely paid for by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with match funding from partners.
