How clubs are using walking sports to get more people active

Clubs across Wales are providing walking versions of their sport, helping people stay healthy and active. 

This gentler alternative supports older people and those with health conditions to try something new or return to a sport they once loved.

Two clubs leading the way are Haverfordwest County AFC and Cwmtawe Ladies Hockey Club. Their members are examples of how walking sports can make a real difference to everyday life.

I've reconnected with my own interests and I'm more confident.

Why walking sports work 

Starting a new sport or going back one can be daunting. But walking sports reduce the intensity and take the pressure off people.  

With support from Sport Wales’ National Lottery funding, Pembrokeshire’s Haverfordwest County AFC and Swansea’s Cwmtawe Ladies Hockey Club have proven that walking sports can: 

• Remove physical and emotional barriers 
• Improve mental and physical health 
• Combat loneliness and isolation 
• Boost confidence 
• Re-establish independence 
• Find new friends, and equally
• Reconnect with old friends 

Haverfordwest County AFC - supporting people to age well with walking football 

Haverfordwest County AFC is a welcoming, inclusive space for people of all ages and backgrounds to stay active and connected. Since launching their walking football sessions in 2022, the club has grown quickly and has improved the health of many members. 

Andrew’s physical and mental wellbeing journey

Andrew Cassidy, or ‘Cas’, went viral online with his amazing keepy‑uppy skills. But behind the fame, he was struggling with his mental health, weight and isolation. 

While taking part in a numeracy learning course, Andrew helped organise a charity walking football festival at Haverfordwest County AFC. 

Seeing the encouragement and community of walking football up close was the turning point. Andrew went along to a training session with the club and has never looked back!

It’s nice to get out and meet people at the walking football and not be in your house on your own.

A little help from National Lottery funding 

To meet growing demand and support more people like Andrew to reconnect with physical activity and make new friends, Haverfordwest County AFC needed some help with equipment. 

With National Lottery funding via Sport Wales, the club has been able to invest in: 

• Balls 
• Bibs 
• Marker cones 
• Portable goals 

Sport Wales and the National Lottery stepped in and we now have up to 50 people coming to walking football – all coming for fitness and friendship. We have an ageing population in Pembrokeshire and walking football is helping us to age well.

Along with the club's brilliant expansion, the increased number of women coming along means that they have been able to set up a women’s team too. Some players have even gone on to represent Wales. 

Andrew now attends training twice a week. He has lost weight, improved his fitness, enjoyed being a part of a team again and got his confidence back. 

While his famous keepy-uppy skills turned him into an online sensation, it’s Andrew’s steady steps on the walking football pitch that’s made the biggest impact on his life. 

Cwmtawe Ladies Hockey Club - friends reunite on the walking hockey pitch  

A space for fitness, friendship and laughter – the walking club at Cwmtawe Ladies Hockey was built from nostalgia and childhood memories of hockey.   

They welcome everyone from retired pros to complete beginners, proving that it’s never too late to play the sport you once loved.  

From Mam back to Mair  

As a schoolgirl in the 60s, Mair Edwards loved being part of the hockey team. Now 74, she’s laced up her trainers again. She has been the driving force that made walking hockey at Cwmtawe Ladies Hockey Club a reality.  

After retiring from a full-time career in nursing, Mair has her hands full with lovely grandchildren. But she felt lonely. She felt like something was missing.   

Feeling nostalgic about her school days on the hockey pitch, Mair read about the growing number of walking sports. She thought: how about walking hockey?  

She shared the idea with her old schoolfriends who didn't need any persuading! Word soon spread - plenty of other women came forward, excited to pick up a hockey stick for the first time or return to the sport they enjoyed when they were younger. 

I’m not Mam, or Mimi as the little ones call me. I’m Mair Edwards again. I’ve reconnected with my own interests and I’m more confident. I had really missed being part of a team. Now, for all of us, walking hockey is definitely our ‘happy hour'.

Jan and the National Lottery make magic 

Mair couldn’t have done it without the help of one of her friends. 

Jan Millar, goalkeeper for Wales’ over 60s squad and Cwmtawe Ladies Hockey coach and player, made sure that the dream became a reality. From liaising with the club, to securing a training venue, to now volunteering to coach the walking team, Jan was instrumental in making the team possible.  

Thanks to National Lottery funding via Sport Wales, the club made it easier for people to try walking hockey with no financial pressure. With the funding, they were able to:  

• Cover the cost of venue hire was covered.  
• Offer the first few months of sessions for free. 

We’ve been so thrilled that the walking hockey sessions are so popular. We weren’t sure how many people would want to come along and we’ve been blown away by the interest.

A welcome routine 

Now meeting every Thursday in Ystradgynlais, this group of women continue to step back onto the pitch together. 

Mair once felt a little lonely after retiring from a busy career. But the community she's found on the pitch has her feeling happier, fitter and more confident. She’s rediscovered a part of herself she thought she’d left behind a long time ago.