#LoveWalking campaign launches for York residents

• A new campaign has been created by Make It York inspired by Welcome to Yorkshire’s #Walkshire to encourage residents to #LoveWalking in York
• A brand new Little Vikings ‘I Spy’ Walking Trail has been launched to inspire families to explore the city and spot iconic sights
• Resources are available to download from the new #LoveWalking hub

As part of the celebratory #LoveYork campaign launched by Make It York earlier this year, a new #LoveWalking hub has been created to help inspire local residents to explore the city. The hub includes a variety of themed trails, walking inspiration and tips for exploring York on foot – showcasing the unique offer of the city.

Launching today (8^th March), as part of the campaign, Little Vikings (York for Kids) have created a brand new family-friendly I Spy Trail. This permanent free walking trail is the perfect way for families to explore York, with 22 weird, wonderful, iconic and interesting things to spot along the circular route. The I Spy Trail will get little legs exploring and little eyes spotting things they would otherwise never have noticed, and it will be available all year round. From famous street names to iconic statues and plaques – the trail offers a fun way for families to explore the city and spot some of York’s unique sights. Maps are available for download online and physical copies will be made available in the Visitor Information Centre once this reopens next month.

The hub also includes a variety of other themed trails for residents to enjoy and highlights some of the best walking spots including along the city’s iconic walls. From Visit York’s chocolate trail, which explores how the city was built on chocolate and the sweeter side of York’s history – to the famous York Cat Trail, which celebrates the unique history of York’s cat statues. The York Selfie Trail also offers a pick of the most iconic photo spots in the city to take the best selfies and capture some of the best scenery in York. Walking resources from the City of York Council’s iTravel team also feature on the hub – with a variety of walks highlighted for all abilities and ages across the city centre and beyond.

The campaign has been inspired by Welcome to Yorkshire’s #Walkshire activity which showcases Yorkshire’s diverse landscapes and invites people to share their walks using #Walkshire and more information can be found at walkshire.com

Ashley Young, Senior Marketing Manager of Make It York said:

“One of the best ways to explore York is on foot and our new #LoveWalking hub has been designed to offer residents inspiration for their walks over the coming months and help them to explore new parts of the city.

“During lockdown, walking has been enjoyed by many as a way to get out for our daily exercise and appreciate all the wonderful scenery on our doorstep and we wanted to celebrate that as part of our #LoveYork campaign. With a new trail from Little Vikings for families to enjoy, as well as a whole raft of other themed trails and walks, we’re encouraging people to #LoveWalking in York this spring and see the city in a new way.”

Polly Bennett, Founder & Editor of Little Vikings said:

“We’re so excited to launch the Little Vikings I Spy Trail. For some time we’ve wanted to create a fun, family-friendly walking trail around York to help families to explore and enjoy the city, and it’s brilliant to see it come to life. With the help of our own three children, we’ve created an entertaining circular route with plenty of intriguing things to spot along the way, from clocks to cats and even a red devil! We can’t wait to see families embark on the I Spy Trail and see what they can tick off. Top marks for a full house, and don’t forget to look up!”

Cllr Darryl Smalley, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities at City of York Council said:

“We’re delighted that residents can enjoy more of what’s on our doorstep and explore all the wonders and sights of our unique city as part of their daily exercise. Walking and cycling are both excellent ways to improve our local air quality and also boost our own quality of life with better health and growing sense of community in the city.

“Over the past year we’ve all seen first-hand the benefits of just being able to get out of the house and, like many I’m sure, I too have discovered new corners of York I had never fully appreciated before. I can’t wait to make the most of the great new #LoveWalking materials and get more active in York this spring.”

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council said:

“Getting outside and travelling by foot or bike can have amazing benefits for our own health and our city. It’s wonderful to see residents encouraged to enjoy active travel as the weather brightens up and the city’s restrictions begin to steadily lessen.

To create a greener, cleaner city it is of course important to remember that walking and cycling can also be sustainable alternatives for our regular commutes to work or school and residents can find out more about incorporating this into everyday life via the iTravel website at www.itravelyork.info “

Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive James Mason said:

“Walkshire has captured the imagination of so many people across the county, the nation and the world, since its launch on New Year’s Day. Walking is a wonderful way to explore this magnificent county’s vibrant cities like York, spectacular coastline, breathtaking countryside, tempting towns, fascinating heritage, brilliant businesses, amazing attractions, astounding art and delicious food and drink. A walk for every day of the year and more, #Walkshire is the most inclusive of campaigns and can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities, with wonderful well-being and health benefits. Walkshire’s popularity is immense with walkshire.com already seeing over 100,000 page views and the first week’s launch figures revealed a 1.5 million online reach and 3.7 million total impressions.

“Showcasing and enjoying Yorkshire through walking is also an ideal way to shout about the county as a place to Live, Study and Work, as well as Visit. Everyone can get involved by visiting walkshire.com and by sharing favourite routes using #Walkshire on social media. A great initiative to promote businesses, Walkshire’s ‘Walk of the Day’ feature can be sponsored from as little as £50., so a perfect PR opportunity as Welcome to Yorkshire has a global brand reach of over 23m and a social reach of almost 20m.

“We’re delighted that Make It York’s #lovewalking campaign will also champion walking and compliment #Walkshire. It’s another fantastic reason to explore the beautiful and historic city of York, with themed trails to entertain and educate in an exciting way. Featuring I Spy, chocolate, cat and selfie trails … what’s not to like! I’ll certainly be heading to York once lockdown lifts.”

The #LoveWalking campaign is currently aimed at local York residents with plans to promote this more widely once lockdown restrictions are lifted and it is safe to welcome visitors back to the city. The city’s diverse range of walking tours and guides will also be promoted as part of the campaign when these are able to safely restart – from ghost walks and historical tours, to guides offering specialist foodie and instagrammable walks, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Further details will be added to the #LoveWalking hub over the coming months.

Find out more about the #LoveWalking campaign at https://visityork.org/explore/loveyork/lovewalking.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

Make It York www.makeityork.com

Make It York’s purpose is to develop and promote the city and its surroundings – nationally and internationally – as a vibrant and attractive place to live, visit, study, work and do business. The company’s remit covers leisure and business tourism, city centre management, festivals and events, business support and inward investment.

One of Make It York’s strategic aims is to promote York as a brilliant place to do business, helping to support business growth and innovation across a range of business sectors, such as financial & professional services, rail and high value manufacturing and to stimulate greater inward investment.

Little Vikings www.little-vikings.co.uk

Little Vikings is a print and online guide to the best of York for kids, founded and run by a York family with a passion for helping local and visiting families make the most of their time in the city and beyond. Through their popular school holiday guides, website and social media, as well as the annual Little Vikings Awards, Little Vikings has become synonymous with the best of family-friendly Yorkshire. Their new annual guide, Moving to York for Families, will be out this summer.

For further information please contact:

Amy Goodman – Consumer Communications Manager
Email: amy.goodman@makeityork.com