'Over the years, the festival has attracted walkers from across the UK'

MS for Wrexham

Research commissioned by Sport Wales has shown 60% of adults in Wales intend to increase the amount of physical activity and exercise they do as we emerge from lockdown.

An unexpected consequence of the pandemic has been the visible increase in the number of people walking, jogging and cycling around Wrexham and while changing people’s travel habits is not an easy task, the Welsh Government has been presented with an opportunity to make lasting change for the better.

The amount of money spent on Active Travel by the Welsh Government was recently increased significantly to £55 million. Local authorities in Wales are required by law to encourage walking and cycling and this money allows councils to promote active travel by improving travel networks, ultimately helping make walking or cycling a more attractive proposition for citizens. I know Wrexham has benefited from this funding in the past I am determined to help secure further investment.

In addition, the Health & Active Fund was set up in 2018 to help improve mental and physical health by enabling people to adopt healthy and active lifestyles. Almost £1 million was recently outlined by the Welsh Government to extend the fund for a further year, after services were severely impacted during 2020 due to the pandemic.

Being active has a huge benefit to our physical and mental wellbeing and I’m really keen to promote healthy living in Wrexham.

Before the summer holidays started, I had the pleasure of visiting St Christopher’s School to take part in the launch of their ‘Be. Football’ initiative. Be. Football is a project set up by the Football Association of Wales aimed at supporting grassroots football and boosting participation in the women’s game. The launch was a huge success and it was fantastic to see so many girls playing football and enjoying themselves.

Another local event I am supporting that helps encourage people to venture outdoors is the Wrexham Walking Festival. Every day from 7th to 15th August, a series of free walks will take place exploring our region’s scenic landscape and people of all ages and abilities are welcome to join in. Over the years, the festival has attracted walkers from across the UK to visit our region and after spending much of the last year or so indoors, I hope this year’s event will be the most successful yet.

All the details can be found online but if constituents require any further information, please get in touch.