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Turn your stroll to the ballot box into a march for rights

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CROYDON COMMENTARY: The walk to your polling station for the local elections on May 5 can be used to improve accessibility to the countryside for thousands of people, says rambler MICHAEL HOWELLS

Free range: the Ramblers’ Association is seeking local election candidates to back their campaign

Walking in nature improves our health and happiness, whether on countryside paths, in town centre parks or down tree-lined streets.

Government statistics show that more people than ever have enjoyed the simple pleasures of walking since the covid-19 pandemic began.

However, getting into nature to walk isn’t currently the same for everyone, and lockdown restrictions brought that into sharp focus.

Research conducted for the Ramblers in 2020 by YouGov showed, for example, that just 46per cent of respondents on the lowest income had easy access to green space, compared with over 70per cent of those with the highest income levels.

The Ramblers is campaigning for local councils to improve our local path network, create new green routes that link people to nature, and to support programmes that encourage people to enjoy walking.

As the May 5 local council elections approach, Inside Croydon’s readers can help us by writing to their local candidates, asking them to work with the Ramblers and support the Ramblers manifesto for making access to nature more equal for everyone.

They can find out how to do this at ramblers.org.uk/localelections2022.

Croydon Commentary is a platform for all our readers to offer their personal views about what matters to them in and around the borough. To submit an article for publication, just email us at inside.croydon@btinternet.com, or post your comment to an Inside Croydon article that has caught your attention

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