Walking and wellbeing with the Ramblers

People's Postcode Lottery ambassadors, Matt Johnson and Fiona Philips spent time with supported charity, the Ramblers in Wales finding out more about the benefits of walking and the work that funds raised by players is making possible.

The Cambrian Way, which stretches 298 miles from Cardiff to Conwy, is a mostly mountainous footpath. A dedicated team of volunteers form the Ramblers make sure the trail is clearly marked for all to enjoy.

As well as discovering the difference that funding of more than £8.2 million has made to the charity since 2016, Matt and Fiona helped fix way markers to posts along the route, helping guide walkers - a project made possible thanks to players of Postcode Lottery.

Matt joined volunteers Colin Bobbett, Dawn Drewitt and James Williams from the Lampeter Ramblers along one section of the route in the remote Doethie Valley to lend a hand with the waymarking project.

Colin became involved with the Ramblers after his wife passed away. He views volunteering as his way of giving back to the landscape that he gets so much enjoyment from.

He said: "I love hillwalking. It's good for the soul and I think people are starting to appreciate the health benefits of walking.

"It's all about getting out from behind your desk, pausing the automated world for a little while and getting close to nature."

Matt, who comes from Caerphilly, didn't know about the route until it was introduced to him by the Ramblers.

He said: "Being outside, finding new pathways and doing something special like marking the route so others can enjoy it gives you a wonderful sense of achievement. It's so beneficial not just for your physical health, but for your mental health too.

"Taking in the beauty of the landscape gives me a really special feeling and it makes me proud to be Welsh. Cymru Am Byth!"

Postcode Lottery ambassador Fiona, who is no stranger to Wales thanks to her Welsh ancestry, walked another part of the route along the Brecon Beacons. She said: "The great thing about the Cambrian Way is that it takes in so much of Wales and it's split into stages so you don't need to walk all of it to still be able to take in some of the most beautiful parts of Wales.

"It's wonderful to see that thanks to support from players of People's Postcode Lottery this route is really being embedded into the Welsh landscape."

Oliver Wicks from Ramblers Cymru is responsible for waymarking the trail, and said: "The path is steeped in Ramblers history and its legacy is continued through the dedicated volunteers who monitor the route. This is no mean feat given that the path is around 74,000 feet of climbing, the equivalent of summiting Everest two and a half times through the middle of Wales."