Based at Nightingales Café in the heart of Birkenhead, two 1.5-hour sessions will be delivered to separate groups every week and will include:

• a led healthy walk,
• a self-help education session
• a social activity.

Each group will have 12 participants and be delivered over 12 weeks with 4 intakes during the year.

The programme will build up the length/intensity of the healthy walks so that by week 12 participants will be physically fit enough and psychologically ready to undertake a walking challenge event in the hills of North Wales. Participants will be involved in all aspects of organising the challenge event.  

Self-help sessions will include a range of subjects such as healthy eating, mindfulness and meditation techniques to help people to complete the challenge and sustain their new healthier habits beyond the completion of the programme. Social activities will be fun and a mixture of organised and informal and create new friendship groups which can continue post the completion of the programme.

The programme will culminate in a The Mountain Pass reflection event at the Nightingales base where the achievements of the group will be celebrated. 

A The Mountain Pass Co-ordinator will liaise with referral partners and coordinate suitably qualified instructors to deliver different aspects of the programme including the walking challenge. They will support participants to become The Mountain Pass Champions who will lead walks and generally support the delivery of the programme.