Sandown resident encourages others to explore their community
SANDOWN – A Sandown resident hopes to encourage others to explore their neighbourhoods.
A Sandown resident, who has lived in the neighbourhood for over 40 years, hopes to encourage residents to explore their own community more.
Beryl Porter, who moved to Sandown in 1975, remembers hers being one of only three houses in the area and cows and horses roaming around the neighbourhood. Porter loved the neighbourhood then and still loves it today, despite the huge contrast.
Porter began walking in order to get fit for an upcoming trip overseas. However, she soon fell in love with walking around her neighbourhood, not only for the scenery, but because of the camaraderie and friendship.
She started the Walk the Talk in Johannesburg in order to encourage people to explore their neighbourhoods and build community spirit. Since then she has started Walk and Talk tours, which has destinations throughout the city.
“I’ve found that locals don’t really walk in the neighbourhood so I’ve been trying to encourage people to get out and walk more,” said Porter.
Porter hosts a variety of walks in the neighbourhood including one that goes from park to park. The walk includes Innesfree Park and Ernest Ullman Park. She also hopes to build labyrinths, which are spiral paths often used for meditation, at the parks, to encourage people to use them more regularly. Porter said she has had some challenges in order to get the labyrinths built but she is optimistic that they will be completed soon.
“Walking in the parks is so beautiful. Most people don’t have a clue about what’s around them and it’s so beautiful. I think people are quite interested in the labyrinths and they would enjoy having one at a public park”.
She said the tours also encourage people to be their own tour guides around the city. “The beauty here is unbelievable and I think both tourists and locals should see what is around them. That’s the beauty of the tours too, people can find out about what is around them.”
Details: Walk and Talk Tours 011 444 1639.
Share your thoughts on having a labyrinth at your local park on the Sandton Chronicle Facebook page.
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https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/199765/purple-walk-in-sandton-a-big-success/
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/111448/great-walk-bridge-to-link-alex-and-sandton/
