We’re celebrating Walking Football Week by offering a free taster session this Saturday for people to go along and get involved in our thriving Walking Football programme.
Between 23rd March and 3rd April, The FA are celebrating all the benefits of Walking Football with a dedicated week to help share the amazing growth of this brilliant sport.
Moors in the Community have long been supporting Walking Football in a flourishing scheme which has grown to three sessions every week as well as boasting multiple teams playing in competitive leagues.
To mark Walking Football Week, we invited Brian Shippen – one of the pioneers of Spennymoor Town’s programme – to come along and give us his insight and tell us more about why people should get involved.
“We started this in September 2021, so we’ve just celebrated four years of Walking Football in Spennymoor,” Brian explained.
“It was trial and error at first in terms of the numbers and the first session we held there was only me and one other person who turned up so we were a bit disappointed.
“But we did some more promotion in the area and as the weeks and months went on the numbers increased – today we have 89 paid members.
“Thet all get involved in the three Walking Football sessions we do every week, so it’s grown immensely since we launched it four and a half years ago.
“As well as the recreational side, we also have a competitive league we play in with established Over 50s and Over 60s teams and hopefully an Over 70s team very soon too.”
Brian tells us that not only has being involved in Walking Football helped with his activity levels and general fitness, but it’s also been crucial in terms of improving his social life alongside it.
“I have always been a fairly active person and I liked walking, but this has taken it to the next level, and it’s not only helped my physical fitness but also my mental fitness too.
“It’s also a social thing because after two of the three sessions we go back to the wonderful football club at Spennymoor Town for teas and coffees, so we’ve built a real community now as well.
“Come along and try it. If you don’t like it then nothing is lost but I can tell you that you’ll get the bug for football again, something to get out of the door for and a purpose in life.”
If you’d like to get started, then there is a free taster session taking place on the outdoor 3G pitch at Active Life in Coxhoe on Saturday 28th March between 10am and 11am.