Stag Walkers' Hannah featured in BBC article - 1 January 2025

Extract from BBC News article by Louise Parry, BBC News, East of England

When Hannah moved from Kent to Hitchin she struggled with loneliness, but joining the Stag Walkers group provided her with a new community.

"It can be daunting going for walks with people you don't know – but it allows you to have conversations you might not normally have.

"The ramblers is a safe place. All those worries in my head faded once I got to know the leaders and organiser.

"You meet such amazing friends and make great memories."

As well as relating to others, Hannah says "walking is where I feel the most connected to myself, when I feel like I've lost myself".

"If things are getting heavy, there are thoughts bogging me down, endless to-do lists... I find as soon as I put my hiking boots on and go to Oughtonhead Common (near Hitchin), I just have that sense of peace. I'm still in my mind, my soul is restored, I feel liberated.

"It's like the switch is off. I feel like all those worries I had before were such a huge waste of time."

"I love the fact you have the English longhorn cattle grazing, the kites and buzzards, a nice little pond to dip your feet in."

She also recommends the 10-mile route from Hitchin to Whitwell, "which offers stunning scenic views" and "insightful history".

"The route passes a Roman bathhouse, Motte & Bailey castle, ruins of a medieval chapel and the childhood home of the Queen Mother," she said.

Hannah is autistic and says getting out into nature can counteract difficulties with overstimulation.

"Finding some practise to unwind and decompress is really beneficial. For some people it might be gaming or writing or painting – for me it's walking.

"It's a sensory experience when my feet are in the soil. When I'm in nature I find my ground, and I am at my calmest."

Hannah believes "there's a spiritual strength in nature too, it can heal you."

"If you're looking for free therapy, go to your local countryside path, look at what your local reserve has to offer.

"Just being there for half an hour you'll see how beneficial it is. You'll be surprised."

To read the full story, visit the BBC website