Do you want to transform lives one step at a time?
With a Walking Solves Licence you can earn as you walk while connecting your community where people can share stories and enjoy the simple joy of being out in nature together. We believe walking side by side creates space for conversation, reflection, and friendship. Everyone is welcome, and kindness is at the heart of everything we do.
One Walk. One World. One Community
The Story of Walking Solves
It was a warm, sunny Saturday in July 2023.
Peter clipped the collar onto Sid the Spaniel, laced up his walking boots, and stepped outside with no grand plan—just a man and his dog heading over Solsbury Hill, the place immortalised in Peter Gabriel’s song.
That first day, it really was just the two of them.
But Peter carried a quiet belief that his small idea could become something much bigger: a global walking community built on connection, companionship, and fresh air.
Why Walking Solves?
It all began when Peter asked himself a simple but powerful question:
“When you look at the world as it is… what good still needs doing?”
Because everywhere you look, millions of people are struggling with anxiety, depression, and a constant sense of overwhelm.
Antidepressant use is at an all-time high — and rising.
We’re living longer… but are we really living?
Despite being more “connected” than ever, people have never felt more lonely, more isolated, or more lost inside the noise of the online world.
Peter knew something had to change.
So he did something beautifully simple:
He invited people back into the real world.
Back into fresh air, real conversations, real footsteps, and real community.
At the heart of Walking Solves is a motto that has guided the journey from day one:
Solvitur Ambulando — “It is solved by walking.”
And Peter believes that to his core.
Because whatever your “it” is — stress, loneliness, heartbreak, self-doubt, anxiety — something shifts when you step outside and walk beside others who understand.
Stories get shared. Burdens get lighter. Hope gets louder.
And joy becomes something you feel again, not just something you scroll past.
“Walking Solves has changed my life” is now something Peter hears every single week.
And he knows this movement is bigger than one person or one town.
There’s a deep, urgent need for real human connection — and the community is proof.
Now, Peter’s vision is to bring this ripple of change to the world…
and he’s inviting you to help lead it.
After that first walk, Peter shared a few photos on social media and casually invited others to join him next time.
Two weeks later, four people showed up.
Then six.
By September, the walks had become a weekly ritual—every Saturday at 9am, open to absolutely anyone.
And soon, the questions started rolling in:
“How do we join you?”
“Can I bring my dog?”
People’s imaginations were being sparked. They weren’t just curious about the walks—
they wanted to explore their own local landscapes too.
By Christmas, there were 27 regular walkers.
And Peter began noticing something important…
People came for the walk, but they stayed for something much deeper.
They shared stories.
They empathised with each other’s struggles.
They celebrated each other’s wins.
Strangers became companions.
Companions became friends.
Little by little, they built a community they didn’t know they were missing.
As 2024 began, word started spreading.
Friends told friends.
Numbers quietly climbed.
By June, more than 100 people had walked with Peter. His spreadsheet—once perfectly fine—was now bursting at the seams.
Then someone said the words that changed everything:
“I have a mate who builds apps, if you want an intro?”
Music to Peter’s ears.
By November 2024, the Walking Solves App was live.
People signed up.
Walk stats appeared.
Miles were counted.
Friendly competition sparked conversations:
“How many have you done?”
“Wait, you’re on ten already, did you get your badge?”
The buzz on each walk grew.
And then something remarkable started happening…
People began telling Peter that Walking Solves had changed their lives.
Depression, Anxiety, Loneliness, Low Confidence
These were challenges many walkers carried quietly for years.
But together, step by step, they found connection.
They found understanding.
They found each other.
And something shifted.
People walked taller.
They felt more like themselves again.
More grounded.
More alive.
More connected—to people and to the world around them.
Walking Solves was no longer just Peter’s idea.
It had become something bigger — a living, breathing, thriving community.
More than 300 people have now walked with him.
Over 3,500 pairs of feet have stepped out on more than 230 walks.
Together, they’ve covered over 17,000 miles — almost three-quarters of the way around the world.
Their Facebook Group has now grown to 3,500 members, all following the journey, joining the conversations, and experiencing the magic as it happens.
And this is only the beginning.
Peter’s vision—creating a global walking community—is growing step by step.
And now that he’s proven the need…
It’s your turn.
It’s time for you to become part of the story.
Time for you to take the next step.
Time for you to help shape the future of Walking Solves.
In July 2025 Walking Solves was recognised as Community Group of the Year in the Bath Echo Awards
In October 2025, Radio Bath Highly Commended Walking Solves in their Community Group of the Year Award
Their story was featured in the Dec 2025 issue of The Bath Magazine
We also have a monthly page in the Bath Echo where we have a regular walker feature focusing on powerful stories from our members about how walking with us has improved their lives
“I have struggled to cope this year after a series of very difficult family issues. The doctor prescribed beta blockers but I didn’t feel they were right for me. After trying them a couple of times I thought ‘nope’ and joined Walking Solves instead. It is far more effective!!”
Here are just some of the reasons Peter started Walking Solves
- 1/3 of UK & US Adults Report Feeling Lonely Most of the Time (this is the same as the global loneliness statistic)
- 6% of UK adults are chronically lonely (which is higher in the US at 10%)
- Anti-depressant dependency has increased by 26% in the last 8 years in the UK with around 17% of adults taking them
- 12.5% of adults in the US take anti-depressants
- Obesity has more than doubled in the last 30 years in the UK to 29% (with over 40% of adults in the US being classed as obese)
- The global rate for obesity is 12.5%
Walking & Mental Health — What the Science Says
- Exercise is as effective as antidepressants or therapy for many people with mild–moderate depression (2024 JAMA review of 218 RCTs; 14,000+ participants).
- Walking counts — even low-intensity movement significantly reduces depressive symptoms.
- Exercise + antidepressants is more effective than medication alone (JAMA 2024).
- A 2024 meta-analysis of 75 studies found that walking consistently reduces depression and anxiety across all ages.
- Walking works whether done solo or in a group, but group walking adds:
- Social connection
- Accountability
- Higher consistency and motivation
- These factors make group walking a powerful, accessible mental-health support for many people.
- Nature-based walking may further enhance mood and reduce stress through exposure to daylight, greenery and fresh air.
You can’t do a digital walk
We spend more time on our screens than ever before
Social connection is decreasing which is why the statistics on loneliness above , while alarming, are not surprising
At Walking Solves we want to reverse these trends by literally moving in the right direction together
With your help we can make people happier, healthier and more connected
“Knowing it is always there no matter the weather is worth everything when you are feeling low or lonely or just need to get out of the house and do something active. Having that network of people who are all there supporting each other is priceless.”
We focus on people
There’s something magical about walking that allows us to feel comfort in sharing our thoughts
When we feel lonely we often feel that no one understands, but once we start to talk we realise we’re not the only ones who feel this way
This is demonstrated on every walk we do, and it is why the community has a deep connection
The proof that people want to walk and talk is evident in our growing numbers
“I’m someone who – in middle age – has found herself socially isolated. Walking Solves has meant I’ve got to meet new people as well as attempting to get physically fitter.”
And now it’s time to bring this to you
As the Walking Solves leader in your community you will be helping people create meaningful connections
Here’s how it works
You provide local guided walks every Saturday at 9am (and 6pm on Wednesdays through the summer Apr – Sep)
The walks are between 3 – 5 miles and take up to 2 hours
It’s that simple!
Marketing and Strategy
- We have a proven system that has resulted in continual growth for over 2 years (we have more than doubled our numbers in the past 6 months)
- You will be given access to our Walking Solves App where you manage everything, and it has been designed to be simple to use
- You will receive full support from Peter personally to help grow your community
- Simple marketing strategies to take you from Zero to 100 Active Members quickly
- Weekly strategy meetings with simple actions helping you continue to serve your community
If you want to talk to Peter about holding the licence in your community and beginning to change lives then please enter your details and we’ll send you some more info
