main content Healthy walks in the ‘Beck Corridor’

A series of new walking routes around Beckenham and West Wickham, the ‘Beck Corridor’, will allow residents of all ages to explore local green spaces whilst improving their health. Kelsey Park, Cator Park, Harvington Estate, High Broom Wood and Spring Park are areas which fall within a stone’s throw of the Beck River. Free copies of the ‘Explore the Beck Corridor’ walk pack are available now from libraries across the borough.

”People love to visit their local park. Fresh air, exercise and relaxation all have great benefits to our mental and physical health. We hope the walk pack will encourage people to go that little bit further by exploring beyond their favourite park and getting active beyond their usual comfort zone.” said Ewa Prokop, Countryside Projects Officer.

Walking is our natural means of transport. Regular walking has many health benefits. This form of exercise also promotes social interaction between walking companions and provides people with opportunities to understand the environment around them.

The ‘Explore the Beck Corridor’ pack includes eight easy to use walk cards, which incorporate notes on accessibility and highlight the built and natural heritage features seen en-route. Information on ‘what to see’ whilst travelling on public transport in the area, plus advice on the health benefits of walking are also included.

To celebrate the launch of the pack, a number of events have been organised to raise awareness of the ‘Beck Corridor’ area:

• A ‘Beck Corridor display’ will be at Beckenham Library from 14 to 25 April
• A ‘Beck Corridor Walk’ will be held on Tuesday 13 May, from 10am to 12.30pm at Beckenham Green by St Georges Church, Beckenham (charge £1.50 adults; children and 60+ £1).
• Free bird boxes will be available for resident’s who live in the Beck Corridor and want to do their bit for wildlife. To claim your free box visit Kelsey Park Information Centre on Sunday 11 May (from 2pm to 4pm) or Tuesday 13 May (11.30am  to 1.30pm) (boxes will be issued on a first come first served basis). Please note: free boxes will only be issued to residents living in the Beck Corridor area. Addresses from those claiming a box will be held on a database.

Further information is available at the Bromley Biodiversity website (www.bromleybiodiversity.co.uk) or by calling Bromley’s Parks and Countryside Service on 01689 862 815.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• The ‘Explore the Beck Corridor’ pack promotes healthy walking through green spaces close to Beckenham and West Wickham in the vicinity of the River Beck; an area loosely defined as ‘The Beck Corridor’.
• The pack is part of the ‘Walking with Beetles’ initiative which was created with support from the Transport for London 5 Year Investment Programme and the EU LIFE Environment Fund, through the SUN Project. The ‘Walking with Beetles’ initiative had aims to: enhance the environment around ‘The Beck Corridor’; promote understanding of the biodiversity within its green spaces and encourage its enjoyment through walking and the use of sustainable transport. The initiative gains its name from the fact that Beckenham is a population hotspot for the threatened stag beetle and as such it provides an ideal icon.
• The ’Explore the Beck Corridor’ pack is the last of the publications to be produced as part of the ‘Walking with Beetles’ initiative. Three other key publications were created as part of this initiative. These are available at the Bromley Biodiversity website (www.bromleybiodiversity.co.uk) (under ‘Kids and Parents’ and ‘Environmental Education’ tabs). These publications were:

1. A ‘Walking with Beetles…to School’ activity pack was published in 2006 for 7-11 year olds walking to and from school. There are 9 activity cards with a biodiversity theme, 3 for each term. Though the Beck Corridor has provided the stimulus for the initiative, the activities have been designed so that they may be undertaken anywhere. This is an innovative project which combines the health, transport and wildlife agendas.
2. Walk chart and game sheet – developed in 2006 to encourage children to record how far they walk and to highlight green spaces in the Beck Corridor area which they may wish to visit.
3. Walking with Beetles - A File of Educational Activities for KS1 to KS3’ was distributed to schools in September 2007. The lesson plans within the file aim to promote biodiversity and sustainable travel to Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 as part of the National Curriculum.

For media enquiries, please contact Amy Bevins, Strategy Development Officer on 020 8313 4738 or amy.bevins@bromley.gov.uk.

For information about the ‘Explore the Beck Corridor’ publication, contact Ewa Prokop, Countryside Projects Officer, on 01689 862 815, or email ewa.prokop@bromley.gov.uk
 
Further information is available at the Bromley Biodiversity website (www.bromleybiodiversity.co.uk)