Belfast Healthy Cities welcomes Great Things Happen campaign

Belfast Healthy Cities, the World Health Organization representative in Belfast, has welcomed the new campaign by the Department for Infrastructure to encourage people to walk more. 

Chief Executive of Belfast Healthy Cities, Joan Devlin, said “The ‘Great Things Happen’ campaign by the Department for Infrastructure to encourage people to walk more is an important step to help to improve health and wellbeing. The benefits of walking, even for short journeys, are very clear, and this campaign will help to encourage people to break the habit of jumping into the car, when walking is a better option. 

“Belfast Healthy Cities has been working with community groups and schools across the city for many years to encourage walking, and to identify barriers to walking. Our Walkability studies have highlighted a number of key issues which need to be addressed, such as pavements blocked by parked cars and uneven surfaces which cause issues for prams and wheelchairs. But these are issues which can be overcome, and as we challenge and change behaviour, we will see an increase in how we move about. 

“In the coming weeks and months we hope that the ‘Great Things Happen’ campaign can help to bring more walkers out and about in Belfast and right across Northern Ireland.”