Heart&Stroke™ Walkabout October 29-09

Led by the HSFNS in partnership with and Goal: To increase the % of Nova Scotians who accumulate at least minutes (most days of the week) of walking for recreation and/or transportation

Walkabout’s Vision Nova Scotia has a walking culture

Why Walking? Nova Scotians rated various activities as “very good” for their health. The results were: –69% Recreational Activities –69% Walking or bicycling –50% Outdoor activities –49% Competitive Sports –16% Household chores Go for Green, National Survey on Active Transportation, 1998

Why ? Leader Orientations to inspire and support! Pedometer Access Program Rating and Recognition for communities Advocacy toolkit & workshop Social Marketing Campaign Sponsorship Evaluation Inventory of walking groups, routes, resources on

Walkabout Leader Orientation Become a Heart&Stroke Walkabout Leader! Check the website

Walkabout Leader Orientation Goal… to provide fun, interactive opportunities to learn and share, leaving participants feeling supported, enthused, and confident to continue to lead or begin to lead an in-person or virtual walking group FREE & includes leader toolkit

So far… Trained over 74 leaders across province Leader Challenges successfully rewarded groups around the province Collecting evaluations on leader resources to enhance our leader toolkit Developing orientation & resources specific to workplace implementation

Pedometer Access Program Pedometer Access Program led by HSFNS in partnership with and logo CAP sites

What is a Pedometer?

Pedometer Access Program Provides access to affordable pedometers for all Nova Scotians Complements other Walkabout components. Self-monitoring encourages increased activity levels.

Pedometer Access Program Available in all 77 libraries and 173 sites across Nova Scotia Loaned like a book Interactive Walkabout website

Daily Steps to Health Children: 12,000 – 16,000 Youth: 11,000 – 12, 000 Adults: 7, ,000 Older Adults 6,000 – 8,500 Adults with chronic disease or disabilities 3,500 – 5,500

Purchasing Pedometers Steps-Count Toll-free at mention Walkabout for discount

Rating & Recognition intended to inspire, guide, support and celebrate communities working to improve their “walk-ability” –walkability = built, policy and social environments a rating scale applicable and accessible to all Nova Scotia communities in all seasons consistent, thorough and credible measures of walkability

Rating & Recognition program currently being designed municipal feedback is being sought The road sign welcoming visitors to your community can proclaim it “Nova Scotia’s most walkable community 2010 verified by Heart&Stroke Walkabout”!

Advocacy Toolkit & Workshop Two-fold Improving walking opportunities Build capacity to engage policy advocacy for walking

Advocacy Toolkit & Workshop Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC) outlined recommendations for: Canadians Governments (all levels) Municipal planners Developers

Advocacy Toolkit & Workshop Collaboration to encourage walking: Business leaders Community groups Health professionals Local politicians Municipal planners School boards and Others

Advocacy Toolkit & Workshop Importance of the toolkit: Highlights processes of municipal planning Policy development process Policy advocacy process

Advocacy Toolkit & Workshop Communities are unique so the toolkit serves as a starting point to think about: How your community is designed What policies you want implemented What advocacy outcomes you want to achieve

Social Marketing Campaign “Walking Takes You Places” developed through a comprehensive strategy: Research stage: –literature review –key informant interviews –focus groups  Key finding: “walking as health activity” makes people think of barriers, but “walking as a social activity” makes people feel excited and inspired.

Social Marketing Campaign Creative stage: –target audience (families and women 28+, rural and urban, busy!, all shapes, sizes and cultures) –2 concepts tested and best concept developed –communication plan to engage target audience, leverage broad stakeholder support, and maximize earned/unpaid media

Social Marketing Campaign Do Nova Scotians think of walking as an everyday activity in their lives? Have Nova Scotians changed their walking behaviour due in part to the contributions of Walkabout? campaign to run fall 2008 to spring 2009 ads for TV, web tie-ins, radio, posters, etc.

Sponsorship “Good corporate citizens” make Walkabout possible! all sponsors recognized via website, events, reports, and other promotional opportunities Major and Presenting sponsors also recognized via TV/print media, enhanced website recognition and title sponsorship of select components

Measuring Success Evaluation gives us powerful information to tell us how we’re doing and if we’re meeting our objectives Without the use of evaluation, we cannot describe to the public, our stakeholders, funders, etc how this initiative is making an impact Evaluation plan developed for all components as well as monitoring of key population-level data on walking