Sligo University Hospital unveils new outdoor walking route display during national workplace walking day

In celebration of National Workplace Walking Day on Wednesday, 24th September Sligo University Hospital (SUH) proudly unveiled its new outdoor walking route display aimed at encouraging increased walking among staff, patients, and visitors.

The walking route display features five carefully selected local routes, ranging in distance from 1 km to 3.5 km, designed to promote physical activity throughout the hospital community. The display also includes a QR code, enabling easy access to detailed walking routes online, alongside key messages from the national guidelines for Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour.

To mark the launch, all staff were invited to visit the display on the morning of National Workplace Walking Day. Those who joined were offered a variety of Healthy Ireland walking gear including hi-vis jackets, hats, baseball caps, and umbrellas as well as information about Walktober four week Step Challenge commencing on the 01 October. Fruit salad pots were also kindly provided by the SUH Catering Department. 

The initiative represents a collaborative effort between SUH’s Health Promotion Department and Physiotherapy Department, with strong support from the SUH Healthy Ireland Implementation Group, Staff Engagement Forum and Hospital Management.

Morna O’Hanlon, Health Promotion and Improvement Officer said, “Promoting walking and physical activity among staff, patients and visitors is a priority for the SUH Health Promotion Department given the positive impact of regular physical activity on overall health and wellbeing. The new outdoor walking route display is a very welcome addition to the SUH campus and is the result of a combined effort from the team at Sligo University Hospital. The display was developed with the aim of inspiring individuals to engage in regular walking using local walking routes that are easily accessible. Including the key messages from the National Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines was also considered integral to the initiative and will hopefully encourage more individuals to prioritise physical activity and make every move count.”

Georgina Kilcoyne, Assistant Hospital Manager at SUH said, “We are delighted to launch this walking route display as part of our commitment to fostering a healthier workplace environment. By encouraging regular walking, we hope to improve wellbeing for everyone who visits or works at our hospital.”

Photo caption:
From left: Jemma Shaughnessy, Physiotherapist; Emma Cleary, Senior Physiotherapist; Helen McGinn, Senior Physiotherapist; Georgina Kilcoyne, Assistant Hospital Manager at SUH; Martin Casserly, Environmental and Waste Management Coordinator SUH; and Morna O’Hanlon, Health Promotion and Improvement Officer.