BREW
WALKS
CIC
What we do
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Brew Walks is a Community Interest Company (not for profit) all about urban mindful walking.
We facilitate people to take their brew for a walk in and around Salford; being present and connecting with nature as they do so.
Combining four simple but effective wellbeing activities; putting the kettle on, mindfulness, walking and nature connection.
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We provide resources for solo walks and run group events that connect people to green spaces and their local community for greater wellbeing.
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Who we are
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Brew Walks CIC is run by 3 Directors; Natalie and Steve Rossiter and Emily Brinnand. We all live in Salford.
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The idea was born of a habit Natalie & Emily developed to support their own wellbeing and which really came into it's own during lockdown - taking their brews for a walk was an easy way to get out the house, stretch their legs and rest their minds. Soon other people caught onto the idea and they decided to make Brew Walks a 'thing'! Natalie roped her husband Steve in to help out too!
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Favourite brews:
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Emily: Columbian black coffee by day, mint tea by night
Natalie: oat milk cortado (ooh err!) or black coffee. Or mint tea. Or builders brew. Don't make me choose!!
Steve: whatever Nat wants to make me! She makes a good cup of strong tea.
What is a Brew Walk?
A Brew Walk goes like this:
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1. Make a brew and put it in a re-useable take out cup
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2. While the kettle's boiling get your coat and shoes on
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3. Take your brew outside with the intention to be out for between 10 minutes to an hour, whatever works for you
4. Whilst you are walking, practice being mindful.
This means brining your awareness to the present moment; what is happening in the here and now. Notice sensations, thoughts and feelings without judgement.
5. As you are walking and sipping your brew, notice nature around you.
Use your senses to connect with trees, birds, plants, insects that you see on your walk; see the colours on a leaf, touch the bark of a tree, hear the birdsong and smell the fresh air. Taste your delicious hot drink. You might want to take a photo of anything that catches your attention.
6. If you see other people on your walk you might smile or nod or say hello.
7. Take as long as you like to do this. When you get back to home or work, hopefully you'll feel a little calmer and more connected.
You will have had a proper break from the tasks, responsibilities and worries of life - doing this can make you more resilient and grounded.
8. Share your experience - chat with your mates about it, encourage your colleagues to do it and share your pictures and thoughts with us on social media.
We will be creating resources - audio and written guides - to help you get the most out of your Brew Walk, but you can start already using the simple instructions above.
How to get involved
There are two main ways to go on a Brew Walk:
Solo walks
Using the instructions above and the resources (coming soon!!) you can go on a Brew Walk any time. The idea is to easily bring mindfulness, movement and nature connection into your daily life in the time it takes to have a brew.
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Group walks
We will be running weekly group Brew Walks on Friday mornings at Lightoaks Park in Salford, with more dates and locations on the way. To comply with current government coronavirus guidelines, places are extremely limited so please do book on if you'd like to come.
Group walks are donation based - pay what you can afford, anything from £1 upwards is welcome.
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Anyone and everyone is welcome, you don't need any experience or equipment. Just turn up at the right time and place with your brew and weather appropriate clothing.
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We'll also be running group walks remotely via zoom - we'll guide you over audio and we can walk together while being in different locations. Please check our social media regularly for dates of these online events.
Connect with us
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Brew Walks is community focused so we really encourage you to connect with us and each other via our social media pages. We know a lot of people are feeling isolated right now so lets all share this simple, joyful activity together to know we're not alone.
We'd love to share your pictures from your Brew Walks so do send them or tag us.
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Instagram: @BrewWalks #brewwalks
Facebook: Brew Walks CIC
Join our private Facebook group so you can get to know other Brew Walkers and even arrange your own meet ups.
Email: brewwalks@gmail.com
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Funding
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We are a not for profit, community interest company.
Our funding comes from donations from the public and funding grants from Salford City Council. As we are brand new we are in the process of applying for other grants so that we can get Brew Walks off the ground, create our resources and provide more community walks to help people look after their mental health.
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Most of the time we work for free, alongside our full time jobs, because we believe in the importance of what we're doing. But some things like insurance, websites, marketing etc cost money. We also want to pay our directors for creating the resources and running the walks.
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Can you support us?
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