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One Year of Walkers & Talkers!
Walkers & Talkers is celebrating a year of get togethers at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
Somerset Cricket Foundation and Somerset County Cricket Club have been working in partnership with Walkers & Talkers on the project, which is designed to strengthen local community connection whilst at the same time reducing the feelings of loneliness and social isolation that are felt by so many.
Walkers & Talkers was set up in 2021 by former Gloucestershire CCC wicketkeeper, Andy Brassington after he experienced the wellbeing benefits of regularly connecting and walking with friends in Bristol.
Walkers & Talkers, which is free and allows people to come together, walk, talk and listen to a Q&A with a local sports personality, was then introduced at Somerset CCC in March 2023, where it has gone from strength to strength. Indeed, more than 100 people attended the most recent session.
After meeting for complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits, participants enjoy a gentle stroll around the Cooper Associates County Ground, an interesting talk at the Somerset Cricket Museum, followed by the Q&A.
Regarding the success of the project, Andy Brassington said: “Who would have thought that one year on from our first ever Walkers & Talkers at The Cooper Associates County Ground, over 100 people would be there to celebrate our anniversary.
“It’s not just the numbers that make me so happy, it’s the friendships that have been made within our group, the willingness to not only talk openly but to listen and share opinions, the laughter and occasionally the tears.
“To catch up with likeminded people and to walk and to talk is the most natural thing in the World to do. Just add a little stardust on a Tuesday morning and you have the wonderful Walkers & Talkers!”
Somerset Cricket Foundation’s Community Programmes Manager, Steve Gass added: “Walkers & Talkers is such a simple idea and it’s a great way to bring people together. Our Tuesday mornings include a stroll around the ground, which allows plenty of conversation with old or new friends, a talk from a local personality, and of course a complimentary cuppa and biscuit! The sessions are a wonderful way to keep people active and connected over the winter months.”
