GETTING fit is a commendable New Year’s resolution so a social walking group in St Albans is offering people the chance to realise that goal and change their lifestyle for good.

Get Fit and Give is a social walking group that encourages people to exercise regularly while raising money for charity. They walk daily and often at weekends for about an hour at a time.

Each walk costs �3 and all of that sum is donated to a charity which is picked every three months as the beneficiary of the group’s fundraising. Children in Need and Cancer Research are just two charities that have benefited from the group’s fundraising.

Carol Campbell, who started the group in the summer of 2009, said she was inspired to start Get Fit and Give after failing to find a daily walking group that would fit around her busy lifestyle.

Carol planned a programme of regular walks and she and her friends soon began to notice the benefits that came with walking every day.

The group is continually evolving and while there is a group of core regulars, there are also many people who dip in and out of the walks as and when it suits them.

All of the people involved say that the flexibility of the group coupled with the mutual support they find within the group, are key factors in why they enjoy it so much.

Carol is now looking to encourage more people to join the group and reap the rewards that come with regular walking outside.

She said: “There is a schedule but it’s flexible and the whole idea behind this is that nobody is tied to anything.

“The notion that you must sign up and rely on somebody else to make changes towards a healthier lifestyle is what we want to get away from. We’re about empowering you to do it for yourself.

“There are many benefits to our walking group: raising money for good causes, the socialising, the improved sense of well-being and the fitness.

“There are also weight-loss benefits and while that’s not primarily what it’s about, those who would like support in this area will get it.

“There are many elements to Get Fit and Give and it’s constantly evolving to meet the needs of the people involved.”

If you would like to get involved, contact Carol on 07801 651141 or via email on getfitandgive@hotmail.co. uk