Who, Where & Why...
Jo is one of our Volunteer Wellness Walk Leaders.
Jo is a fully qualified Lowland Leader & like all of the team she also has qualifications in First Aid for Mental Health, Outdoor First Aid and Safeguarding.
Jo is based in Merseyside.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a Wellness Walk Leader
I wanted to challenge myself to do something different, improve my map reading skills plus first aid skills.
I also love the outdoors and wanted to spread the benefits of being in nature with others.Â
What were your expectations before training started? How did you feel?
I thought I would be surrounded by ‘judgmental’ outdoor instructor types but thankfully I was wrong. Everyone was very welcoming and didn’t judge when mistakes were made. Thankfully I have discovered recently that outdoor instructors are very supportive and not at all judgemental! I was hoping to improve my navigation skills plus first aid skills which was the case.
Which part of the qualification process did you enjoy the most & why?
Just brushing up on my first aid skills but I loved the challenge this brought about.
The best parts were the weekends away in the Lake District with our group. Kelvyn created a supportive environment at these events which meant we gelled well as a group. It was a great laugh and we got to put our skills into practice.Â
What's been the personal inpact of becoming a Wellness Walk Leader?
It has given me the confidence to go out on my own into the hills and to lead my friends and others out on walks.
I’ve really enjoyed meeting people with different life experiences and hearing their stories. I also love sharing the joys of beautiful views and enjoying people’s excitement when seeing these.
Can you share a memorable moment from one of your walks?
Sharing stunning views across the Irish see and Conwy with a gentleman who is a carer for his wife. He shared that he rarely gets out in the hills due to his commitments and the happiness the walk was bringing. The gentlemen was a keen photographer and he took some amazing pictures. He shared how he had forgotten the many simple joys of walking.
 How has this role impacted your own mental health, confidence, or skills?
It’s given me the confidence to do more challenges independently especially in the outdoors. This led me to walking some of the GR65 in France last summer and not stressing that my French was very poor!Â
What feedback or reactions have you had from participants on your Wellness Walks?
The majority of people always share that they really didn’t want to come on their first walk when they got out of bed on the day of the walk! They then share they are so happy they came after feeling so much better and more confident after being outside for a few hours.
Final Thoughts
 If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering volunteering with Wellness Walks, what would it be?
Don’t overthink about being a volunteer just press that submit button on your computer as you won’t regret it!
Where do you think your own journey with Wellness Walks will go?
I would like to go on to do my Hill and Moorland qualification. One of the reasons for this is because it forces you to go out and practice map and compass work and not heavily rely on my OS app! I would also enjoy being a mentor to other volunteers as I would like to help build up their confidence.
I would also like to become a mentor.
How would you describe your experience with Wellness Walks in three words?
Confidence-building. Rewarding. Fun.
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