After the dust settles on the 2009 ball it is good to reflect on the elements that made the event such a success. The group has an excellent group of social secretaries to negotiate a great deal for the venue and amenities. However, what really makes these events swing is the diverse characters that attend these events. It reminds me of a recent article I read on Talentopolis by Richard Florida.
Today a highly significant demographic realignment is at work: the mass relocation of highly skilled, highly educated, and highly paid people to a relatively small number of metropolitan regions e.g. Sheffield, Manchester, London, Leeds & Birmingham. Richard Florida of Mckinsey has coined the term talentopolis to define this type of relocation. What’s behind this phenomenon? The presence of great universities is usually one, being a melting pot for smart people and their creative ideas. People do prefer to live in these areas. To be sure, many of them are aesthetically pleasing—beautiful, energizing, and fun to live in—but they can also be cramped, dense, and expensive.
There is a deeper, more fundamental reason to this phenomenon, rooted in economics. The physical proximity of talented, highly educated people has a powerful effect on innovation and economic growth. Places that bring together diverse talent accelerate the local rate of economic evolution. When large numbers of entrepreneurs, financiers, engineers, designers, and other smart, creative people are constantly bumping into one another inside and outside of work, business ideas are formed, sharpened, executed, and—if successful—expanded. The more smart people, and the denser the connections between them, the faster it all goes. It is the multiplier effect of the clustering force at work. Therefore, the old phrase – “its not what you know but who you know” is no more truer than today.
This is particularly evident within the membership of the Sheffield 20 to 30s Walking Group. Most members are graduate professionals from one of the local universities or have been brought to the city due to the demand for high skilled workers. New members are attracted to the group by the diverse range of activities available, viewpoints and backgrounds contributed by its members. The resident amenities of Sheffield provide an obvious platform to build a broad and exciting social calendar of events from restaurants, pubs, and comedy clubs to music & community festivals and the theatre. These events provide the natural “melting pot for individuals to forge long standing friendships. These friendships are then cemented on the hills out skirting the city within the Peak District.
Tuesday 14 July 2009
Friday 5 June 2009
Get up with the birds for the dawn chorus
Eight weary eyed members got up at 5:00am on Saturday 16th May to witness the dawn chorus over Rivelin Valley and the moorland up to Stanage Edge. Within the group there were a least three enthusiastic bird watchers. So there was a good chance that the group would spot a large number of birds. The group particularly wanted to catch the sight of a wood warbler as there were suggestions that they might be nesting in the woods.
The group were greeted with fabulous sunshine at the start of their walk. This created a tranquil misty scenery as the sunlight teased through the woodland canopy within Fox Hagg woods. The sound of birds calling in the background just completed the scene and made the early start all the worthwhile. However, as the group came out onto the moorland leading up to Redmires Reservoir the weather turned more overcast and wet. Yet, this did not discourage the group. They were rewarded with sights of a Golden Plover, March Hares, Curlews and Skylarks even with reduced viability. As the walk finished the group saw two hen harriers soaring high above. In total, the group heard the call or had a positive sighting of 43 birds. This was a particularly educational , rewarding and enjoyable walk for someone who knew nothing about birds before the event , learning about habitat and picking out the distinctive calls of each bird.
The group were greeted with fabulous sunshine at the start of their walk. This created a tranquil misty scenery as the sunlight teased through the woodland canopy within Fox Hagg woods. The sound of birds calling in the background just completed the scene and made the early start all the worthwhile. However, as the group came out onto the moorland leading up to Redmires Reservoir the weather turned more overcast and wet. Yet, this did not discourage the group. They were rewarded with sights of a Golden Plover, March Hares, Curlews and Skylarks even with reduced viability. As the walk finished the group saw two hen harriers soaring high above. In total, the group heard the call or had a positive sighting of 43 birds. This was a particularly educational , rewarding and enjoyable walk for someone who knew nothing about birds before the event , learning about habitat and picking out the distinctive calls of each bird.
MP helps Ramblers gets Sheffield on its feet at FREE short walks festival
On May 30 the Ramblers called on everyone in Sheffield to slip on their trainers or shoes and join them – no matter what age or ability – for a fantastic FREE walking festival to celebrate national Get Walking Day 09.
Angela Smith MP, Sheffield Hillsborough, spearheaded the promotion of the event through the Early Day Motion 1166 in Parliament. So it was with great delight that Sheffield 20 to 30s Walking Group heard that she had accepted their invitations to join them on the launch of their new “Parents and Prams” themed walks. Together, the group experienced the delights of the Rivelin Valley on a short family friendly stroll.
Angela Smith MP comments:
“The Ramblers has a proud history of encouraging people to walk and enabling them to do so, by fighting for such things as rights of way and the right to roam”.
She then went on to discuss with the group how doctors agree that moderate exercise like walking helps protect people from many illnesses and conditions including obesity, depression, heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, the most common type of diabetes and many cancers. She applauded the group for presenting this opportunity for young parents to introduce children to walking. The Chief Medical Officer prescribes 60 minutes of exercise a day for children. Yet, alarmingly, 40 per cent. of children do not meet the minimum target , which presents serious consequences for public health.
The Rambler’s welcome Angela’s support as they want to encourage everyone to take up walking as a pastime for the following reasons:
Walking rewards:
Angela Smith MP, Sheffield Hillsborough, spearheaded the promotion of the event through the Early Day Motion 1166 in Parliament. So it was with great delight that Sheffield 20 to 30s Walking Group heard that she had accepted their invitations to join them on the launch of their new “Parents and Prams” themed walks. Together, the group experienced the delights of the Rivelin Valley on a short family friendly stroll.
Angela Smith MP comments:
“The Ramblers has a proud history of encouraging people to walk and enabling them to do so, by fighting for such things as rights of way and the right to roam”.
She then went on to discuss with the group how doctors agree that moderate exercise like walking helps protect people from many illnesses and conditions including obesity, depression, heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, the most common type of diabetes and many cancers. She applauded the group for presenting this opportunity for young parents to introduce children to walking. The Chief Medical Officer prescribes 60 minutes of exercise a day for children. Yet, alarmingly, 40 per cent. of children do not meet the minimum target , which presents serious consequences for public health.
The Rambler’s welcome Angela’s support as they want to encourage everyone to take up walking as a pastime for the following reasons:
Walking rewards:
- Walking is free! In the current economic downturn, we at the Ramblers welcome anything which is free! A mile is under a 20 minute walk and so you could save some pennies walking instead of using the bus or your car.
- Walking keeps your body fit and your mind healthy. Walking burns as many calories as jogging over the same distance. Furthermore it boosts happiness and reduces stress.
- Walking is good for the environment. If we all walk more and use our cars less, we will significantly reduce carbon emissions which contribute to climate change.
Wednesday 8 April 2009
Walk your way out of the recession blues
In these tough times of doom and gloom with daily reports of job cuts, individuals need assistance to stay positive. The government’s message is that the only really successful way for the country to get itself out of this recession is if we have a positive outlook, willing to embrace new challenges. Taking up walking could be part of the recipe for individuals to regain their focus and motivation to beat the recession.
Walking has widely been acknowledged for improving individual’s well-being. Individuals who have faced depression and Seasonally affected disorder (SAD) have found that walking has helped them to cope and adopt a more positive outlook and focus on life. How is this possible? Well, walking exposes you to the natural ingredients for a healthy well balanced life. Firstly, getting out into the country lets you breathe fresh clean air. The increased oxygen concentrations in the air released by the surround plants creates a natural feel good factor. This is because the activity of walking increases the circulation, so more oxygen goes to the brain. This is particularly evident when you go hill walking, which the Peak District is naturally designed to accommodate. Hill walking is also a great way to burn excess fat calories as it is a slow energy release stamina exercise rather than a rapid explosive energy release exercise such as sprinting. One of the reasons individuals who are losing weight persist is because they feel healthier, more active and happier as they get slimmer. Finally, simply being out in the country surrounded by the beauty, natural colours and tranquility releases the brain’s natural feel good hormones – endorphins. These are the hormones that are also released during exercise, giving individuals the motivation and energy to persist. To some individuals they can be quite addictive, driving them to exercise regularly to get their daily fix of “feel good factor”.
There are many ways to start walking. If you have the motivation you can simply go out into your local park of which there are many in Sheffield. If you need more motivation and direction there are many walks being organized by groups over the coming months. For instance, the Ramblers are organizing a national “Get Walking, Keep Walking” event on May 30th to encourage everyone to get on their feet. The Sheffield 20 to 30s Walking group are participating in this event and using the date to launch a “Parents and Prams” themed series of walks focused at young families that are looking for flat, easy terrain walks where they have the opportunity to meet other families over a coffee and cake. From the 25th April to 4th May there is the Peak District Walking festival . There will be one hundred guided walks put on to suit all abilities and tastes. For instance there is the Bakewell taster trail – an excuse to find out what tastes better a Bakewell tart or a Bakewell pudding. For details of the walks visit www.visitpeakdistrict.co.uk.
If you don’t want to take up walking for yourself, why not take it up to raise money for a good cause. The Red Cross (www.redcross.org.uk)are looking for individuals to raise funds on their Peak District walk. This is an 8 to 11 miles being run on June 14th. It covers the great ridge, and runs from Edale to Mam Tor, taking in excellent panoramic views of the Hope Valley and the Vale of Edale. If this type of event takes your fancy you can also enter for the “Three Peaks Challenge” (www.thethreepeakschallenge.co.uk / www.actionforcharity.co.uk) – a 24 hour event covering the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales. From here the next step could be to raising funds walking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu (www.actionaid.org.uk/1613/press_release.html), a 13 day trek through the wilderness of Peru; walking the Great Wall of China (www.acrossthedivide.com/china.asp); or even walking to the Everest base camp in Nepal (www.charitychallenge.com/expedition_challenge.jsp?id=7). So the sky is literally your limit if you are motivated to take the first step outdoors. Further, individuals who take on these events often comment that they are life challenging experiences.
The Sheffield 20 to 30s walking group run regular events to introduce potential new members to walking. The next event is on Thursday 16th April from 5pm to 7pm at the Cream Café in Broomhill. As the group is affiliated to the Rambler’s these events are open to all ages. Following the introduction event, individuals will be invited to attend an introductory walk. Full details of these and future events can be found at www.sheffieldwalkinggroup.org.uk. The group also publish their full list of walks on the website. All are welcome to join the group on these walks, which are lead by highly experienced and competent walk leaders.
Walking has widely been acknowledged for improving individual’s well-being. Individuals who have faced depression and Seasonally affected disorder (SAD) have found that walking has helped them to cope and adopt a more positive outlook and focus on life. How is this possible? Well, walking exposes you to the natural ingredients for a healthy well balanced life. Firstly, getting out into the country lets you breathe fresh clean air. The increased oxygen concentrations in the air released by the surround plants creates a natural feel good factor. This is because the activity of walking increases the circulation, so more oxygen goes to the brain. This is particularly evident when you go hill walking, which the Peak District is naturally designed to accommodate. Hill walking is also a great way to burn excess fat calories as it is a slow energy release stamina exercise rather than a rapid explosive energy release exercise such as sprinting. One of the reasons individuals who are losing weight persist is because they feel healthier, more active and happier as they get slimmer. Finally, simply being out in the country surrounded by the beauty, natural colours and tranquility releases the brain’s natural feel good hormones – endorphins. These are the hormones that are also released during exercise, giving individuals the motivation and energy to persist. To some individuals they can be quite addictive, driving them to exercise regularly to get their daily fix of “feel good factor”.
There are many ways to start walking. If you have the motivation you can simply go out into your local park of which there are many in Sheffield. If you need more motivation and direction there are many walks being organized by groups over the coming months. For instance, the Ramblers are organizing a national “Get Walking, Keep Walking” event on May 30th to encourage everyone to get on their feet. The Sheffield 20 to 30s Walking group are participating in this event and using the date to launch a “Parents and Prams” themed series of walks focused at young families that are looking for flat, easy terrain walks where they have the opportunity to meet other families over a coffee and cake. From the 25th April to 4th May there is the Peak District Walking festival . There will be one hundred guided walks put on to suit all abilities and tastes. For instance there is the Bakewell taster trail – an excuse to find out what tastes better a Bakewell tart or a Bakewell pudding. For details of the walks visit www.visitpeakdistrict.co.uk.
If you don’t want to take up walking for yourself, why not take it up to raise money for a good cause. The Red Cross (www.redcross.org.uk)are looking for individuals to raise funds on their Peak District walk. This is an 8 to 11 miles being run on June 14th. It covers the great ridge, and runs from Edale to Mam Tor, taking in excellent panoramic views of the Hope Valley and the Vale of Edale. If this type of event takes your fancy you can also enter for the “Three Peaks Challenge” (www.thethreepeakschallenge.co.uk / www.actionforcharity.co.uk) – a 24 hour event covering the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales. From here the next step could be to raising funds walking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu (www.actionaid.org.uk/1613/press_release.html), a 13 day trek through the wilderness of Peru; walking the Great Wall of China (www.acrossthedivide.com/china.asp); or even walking to the Everest base camp in Nepal (www.charitychallenge.com/expedition_challenge.jsp?id=7). So the sky is literally your limit if you are motivated to take the first step outdoors. Further, individuals who take on these events often comment that they are life challenging experiences.
The Sheffield 20 to 30s walking group run regular events to introduce potential new members to walking. The next event is on Thursday 16th April from 5pm to 7pm at the Cream Café in Broomhill. As the group is affiliated to the Rambler’s these events are open to all ages. Following the introduction event, individuals will be invited to attend an introductory walk. Full details of these and future events can be found at www.sheffieldwalkinggroup.org.uk. The group also publish their full list of walks on the website. All are welcome to join the group on these walks, which are lead by highly experienced and competent walk leaders.
Thursday 12 March 2009
New to the group or thinking about trying out the group but would appreciate a friendly setting to take the plunge. Then the SWG introduction evening and subsequent walk could be just what you are looking for. This event is proving so popular that we are going to run them quarterly. So if you are new to the group and want to meet the committee and other new members in a quiet and relaxing environment come to Cream on the following dates
Thursday 16th April- Wednesday 17th June
- Wednesday 19th August
Each event is run from 5pm to 7pm. You cannot miss the group as we will be the individuals sat next to the big SWG poster in the main area. After a hard days work you can slip off your shoes, sit down with a piece of cake and a drink and get to meet some new friends, At the event you will be able to talk to the committee and seasoned walkers who can fill you in on all the activities run by the group over the year.
If you cannot get to the event by 7pm don't worry as the group will retire to "The York" pub across the road for drinks and light refreshments.
At the event you can sign up for the new members walk which will be scheduled for the Saturday. The plan for the walk will be to meet at Endcliffe Park and walk to Fox House for refreshments. The walk will be 6 miles over well trodden terrain with marvellous views of the Peak District (weather permitting). You can sign up for the walk either at Cream on the night or email your interest to sheffieldwalkinggroup@hotmail.com. To help us filter out these requests can you put "SWG intro Walk" in the subject header for the email. We look forward to seeing you soon.
You can find details of the CREAM Coffee shop below: URL: http://www.cream-connection.co.uk/Location: 1 Crookes Road, Broomhill, Sheffield. S10 5BA
Thursday 22 January 2009
Walking and business skills development go hand in hand
Most people are aware that an hour out walking will undoubtedly improve your health and well being. However, did you know that it will probably also give you an advantage in the work plan. With the current credit crunch and looming recession, we all would appreciate some help to keep our current job or find a new job. Some people will be seeking comfort from their Nintendo DS brain training games. But there is cheaper and more effective option. If you can spare the time to go out with a map and even better with friends, you will probably be honing your business skills without being aware of it. For a start if you go out walking and use an OS map you have exercised two immediate and important business skills:
· You can read and interpret information;
If you have a Nintendo DS and play Brain Training, you will already be aware that these types of challenges develop the Prefrontal cortex area of your brain. This area is concerned with developing your ability to take in and use abstract information e.g. pictures, numbers etc.
· You have basic project management skills to plan, monitor and control.
Now you have to put the map information to good effect. You have to decide where to go and how to get there. You need a plan. So that you don’t get lost you will have to review this plan periodically. This mean breaking the walk up into discreet bites with a milestone at the end. Usually, these milestones are landmarks. You need to calculate the time to travel the distance between the landmarks on the map and check this against the time measured by your watch. Yet you also need to take into account the terrain, as you travel faster on flat terrain in comparison to hilly terrain. Therefore, you need to make quick simple mathematical calculations. I can see you reaching for the Nintendo DS again. Plans change as does the weather. So you need the ability to adapt your plans as a project manager adapts when the budget or resource list is cut. So you have a plan , with a schedule and milestones and you can change they plans on the fly. Hay presto – you are a project manager in the making.
The ability to make valued judgement decisions based upon sound information is a key attribute for leadership and management in business. Leading a group on a walk, whether friends or family will greatly improve your social and communication skills. On a walk everyone has an opinion and someone at some point will tell you that you are going the wrong way, or worse that they are lost. It takes great leadership qualities to be able to contain the situation and restore confidence in the group that you have the ability to do your job. You need to be calm, confident and assertive. You also need to be able to be persuasive. When the weather turns bad you are also going to have to maintain these attributes under stress. The group will want the leader to be able to take prompt action to find warmth, safety and shelter, and they want an answer now. Changes in weather conditions may also require you to change your plans and act on your feet to come up with an alternative solution. The business world is constantly changing these days. Market forces require companies to make quick decisions. These companies will be seeking out individuals that also can embrace change and be proactive in leading change and taking action to ensure that there will be a positive outcome, irrespective of the obstacles along the way.
Finally, simply getting out doors will develop a sense of positive mental attitude. Research has shown that the sites and smells of the outdoors release the feel good hormones endorphins and serotonin which will improve your well-being, outlook on life and motivation.
The Sheffield 20 to 30s Walking Group are continually looking for individuals to take up Walk Leader positions. The group is prepared to put all willing individuals through their walk leader development programme from learning the basics of navigation, shadowing seasoned leaders to taking on your own walks. If you think that you are up to the challenge and want to improve your market potential in the work place get in contact with the group via their website sheffieldwalkinggroup.org.uk or respond to sheffieldwalkinggroup@hotmail.com
· You can read and interpret information;
If you have a Nintendo DS and play Brain Training, you will already be aware that these types of challenges develop the Prefrontal cortex area of your brain. This area is concerned with developing your ability to take in and use abstract information e.g. pictures, numbers etc.
· You have basic project management skills to plan, monitor and control.
Now you have to put the map information to good effect. You have to decide where to go and how to get there. You need a plan. So that you don’t get lost you will have to review this plan periodically. This mean breaking the walk up into discreet bites with a milestone at the end. Usually, these milestones are landmarks. You need to calculate the time to travel the distance between the landmarks on the map and check this against the time measured by your watch. Yet you also need to take into account the terrain, as you travel faster on flat terrain in comparison to hilly terrain. Therefore, you need to make quick simple mathematical calculations. I can see you reaching for the Nintendo DS again. Plans change as does the weather. So you need the ability to adapt your plans as a project manager adapts when the budget or resource list is cut. So you have a plan , with a schedule and milestones and you can change they plans on the fly. Hay presto – you are a project manager in the making.
The ability to make valued judgement decisions based upon sound information is a key attribute for leadership and management in business. Leading a group on a walk, whether friends or family will greatly improve your social and communication skills. On a walk everyone has an opinion and someone at some point will tell you that you are going the wrong way, or worse that they are lost. It takes great leadership qualities to be able to contain the situation and restore confidence in the group that you have the ability to do your job. You need to be calm, confident and assertive. You also need to be able to be persuasive. When the weather turns bad you are also going to have to maintain these attributes under stress. The group will want the leader to be able to take prompt action to find warmth, safety and shelter, and they want an answer now. Changes in weather conditions may also require you to change your plans and act on your feet to come up with an alternative solution. The business world is constantly changing these days. Market forces require companies to make quick decisions. These companies will be seeking out individuals that also can embrace change and be proactive in leading change and taking action to ensure that there will be a positive outcome, irrespective of the obstacles along the way.
Finally, simply getting out doors will develop a sense of positive mental attitude. Research has shown that the sites and smells of the outdoors release the feel good hormones endorphins and serotonin which will improve your well-being, outlook on life and motivation.
The Sheffield 20 to 30s Walking Group are continually looking for individuals to take up Walk Leader positions. The group is prepared to put all willing individuals through their walk leader development programme from learning the basics of navigation, shadowing seasoned leaders to taking on your own walks. If you think that you are up to the challenge and want to improve your market potential in the work place get in contact with the group via their website sheffieldwalkinggroup.org.uk or respond to sheffieldwalkinggroup@hotmail.com
Bird of a feather flock together
Themed based activities such as walking typically attract like minded individuals who have similar interests and viewpoints on life. As a walk leader I regularly stumble upon members on a walk discussing current affairs, politics, astro physics, love and relationships. I firmly believe that the social aspect of a group is a huge marketing opportunity that every Publicity Officer needs to promote. People definitely join walking groups for the social interaction. So often I hear from new members that they were attracted by the social structure of organised walks. Many of these individuals were interested in walking before but found walking alone or having to decide where to go a barrier. Therefore, the opportunity of turning up to an organised event with other people where all the elements have already been decided is very appealing.
With Valentines Day approaching it is worth noting that the sociable aspect can often lead to finding a future partner. Meeting someone within a group of walkers is far less threatening than two people meeting on a blind date. The group dynamic of walking allows individuals to get to know each other casually and avoids the potential embarrassment of rejection. For the Sheffield 20 to 30s Walking Group this unassuming format has led to 5 marriages out of the group over the last 6 years. So it is fair to say that there is someone out there for everyone. You only have to look in the right place. So, if you are looking for someone who shares your love of walking and the outdoors where better to find them than in a walking group.
With Valentines Day approaching it is worth noting that the sociable aspect can often lead to finding a future partner. Meeting someone within a group of walkers is far less threatening than two people meeting on a blind date. The group dynamic of walking allows individuals to get to know each other casually and avoids the potential embarrassment of rejection. For the Sheffield 20 to 30s Walking Group this unassuming format has led to 5 marriages out of the group over the last 6 years. So it is fair to say that there is someone out there for everyone. You only have to look in the right place. So, if you are looking for someone who shares your love of walking and the outdoors where better to find them than in a walking group.
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