A new 5km circular signposted walking and running route has been unveiled in the east Brandon ward. The route start and finish is located at Brandon Leisure Centre, Church Road, Brandon along existing lit pavements which features way finding signage and kilometre markers every 1km along the route.

The free to use route, is designed for maximum accessibility and convenience to encourage a broad range of participants and groups, particularly those who would not normally take part in organised physical activity, by being able to walk or run the route on any day of the week at any time of the day.

The route has been developed by Abbeycroft Leisure, in partnership with Suffolk County Council, and Forest Heath District Council. Abbeycroft has also secured funding from Suffolk Sport's Sportivate programme to deliver three beginner running sessions for pupils from IES Breckland. The courses will support 11-16 year olds to start running with the aim of being able to complete the 5K run walk route as a final challenge.

Abbeycroft Leisure's Chief Executive Officer, Warren Smyth "We're delighted to develop this route and we hope it will encourage many local residents to take up running or walking and to make use of one of Suffolk's greatest strengths, its natural environment. There has been an incredibly positive response to the Run Walk route we developed in Bury St Edmunds at Moreton Hall, and we're confident that this one will be equally as popular"

Ben Willgress head of PE and Creative Arts at IES Breckland spoke about the response from the youngsters "The course has been so popular at school, and we even have a waiting list for the next two. It's also been encouraging to see so many girls from years 9 and 10 enthusiastic about exercising and they're really enjoying themselves"

John Clough from Suffolk Sport added "Suffolk Sport welcomes the creation of the new Brandon Run Walk route, providing an accessible and free opportunity for people to walk, run and get active anytime of the day. We are pleased to support the beginner running sessions through our Sportivate funding programme and hope to see a positive response to the new route. This has been another great example of organisations in the local community working together to tackle inactivity in the county."

Abbeycroft Leisure is also delivering a free 6-week Couch to 5K beginner running course starting on Wednesday 12^th July 2017 at 10:00am meeting outside Brandon Leisure Centre main entrance.

For a gentler introduction to the route local residents can opt to join one of two social walks around the route, led by One Life Suffolk Health Walk Volunteers. These will take place on Tuesday 11^th July and Tuesday 18^th July at 2017 leaving from Brandon Leisure Centre at 10:30am.

Suffolk County Council and Forest Heath District Councillor, Victor Lukaniuk said "We need to encourage people to be more active, and this initiative will do just that. The route is safe, clean, available all year round, and completely free"

Brandon ward councillors have supported the project by donating funds from their locality budgets. Locality funding has come from Forest Heath Councillors Victor Lukaniuk, David Palmer, Reg Silvester, Peter Ridgewell and Christine Mason.

For more information or to sign up for the social walks, visit www.acleisure.com or call Brandon Leisure Centre on 01842 819150.

(Brandon Route attached)