Notices from the committee and items of general interest discussed at Equals meetings.
The second walk took place on Saturday 21st May 2022 with a three and a half mile round trip with 7,960 steps achieved and 341 K calories burnt.
The group enjoyed a gentle walk across Brading Down to view Sandown and Shanklin Bay and the Arreton Valley. They crossed over the main road to walk along Nunwell Down and view the Solent. Heading through a copse group members were able to stop and watch a red squirrel in the trees.
The Seek Nature App was used throughout the walk to identify and learn about the plants and flowers discovered along the route.
Brading Down is one of the Island’s most popular sites for recreation, picnicking and wildlife watching. It offers panoramic views, a wealth of habitats to explore and opportunities for everyone to enjoy the countryside. It lies at the eastern end of the Island’s iconic central chalk ridge and is within the Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Brading Down Local Nature Reserve extends both sides of the main road running along the ridge, and the views both ways are equally stunning. The reserve is worth a visit to see chalk downland flowers, butterflies and birds of prey. Bulleys Quarry is a peaceful retreat to have a barbecue away from the crowds.
We were joined by members of the Asian Group UK who were visiting the island from the mainland, as well as Rachael Ardley who is the IW Gift to Nature Engagement Officer.
Rachael is developing reasons for visiting the great outdoors including outdoor events, activities and trails at the Gift to Nature sites. She enjoyed meeting everyone and is keen to join future walks and to develop working with the Green Time programme.
Pictures from the day
Natural Enterprise is an Island-based charity delivering a range of activities to support the local rural economy and natural environment. It includes the Gift to Nature initiative. Gift to Nature maintains about 30 green spaces around the Isle of Wight, caring for the Island’s wildlife while encouraging people to explore our wonderful countryside.
Green Time walks have visited Gift to Nature Sites and the walk next month also visits one of their sites.
EqualsIW is encouraging older Isle of Wight residents from ethnic minority communities to join a project looking at their experiences on the island.
If you join you will be provided with a camera to take pictures that help tell your story about ageing on the Isle of Wight. You will meet with other residents in the spring and summer to identify important issues to address, to discuss your stories with others, and to help plan the communication of these stories.
If you or someone you know is 60 years of age or older, resides on the Isle of Wight, is a member of a minority community (for example: African, Polish, Chinese, Filipino, Arab, etc.), and is interested in taking part, please contact Dr Witcher
All are welcome to a presentation about the project at
Dr Chad Witcher from the University of Portsmouth and others want to learn more about ‘age-friendliness’ on the Isle of Wight.
The study is an opportunity to tell us your experiences by using a digital camera. You can discuss your views in a group with other older adults from ethnic minority communities. This follows work completed on the Isle of Wight by Age UK Isle of Wight.
This is a small-scale study intended to reach older adults who may not have shared their experiences about an ‘age-friendly’ island. Often, members from ethnic minority communities are under-represented in research and we would like to encourage your participation to learn what may be missing from plans to support all older adults on the Isle of Wight.
To participate in this study, you must meet the following criteria
If you decide to participate you will be asked to take part in several group discussions that will each last about two hours. You will be given a digital camera and asked to capture images that represent ‘age-friendliness.’
Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you have the right to withdraw at any time. Prior to providing your consent to participate, you will be given an information sheet which provides the full details of the study, and a consent form.
You will be able to discuss the study with the chief investigator Dr Chad Witcher .
To join the study please
A group of 12 people came together on Easter Saturday to take part in the first Green Time Walk Your Way to Health with the Equals IW Friendship Group for Friends and Family. A four mile round trip of 8,500 steps and 345 Kcalories.
The group started with a gentle walk from Quarr Abbey to visit Binstead Wood and Dame Anthony’s Common. Stopping to explore Play Lane Millennium Green and pond they found a fallen tree for a group picture. Some delicious homemade Spanish bread and cakes were enjoyed by all underneath the big oak tree in the centre of the Millennium Green.
The group headed back through Ladies Walk and Binstead Golf Course, stopping to learn about the Holy Cross Church in Binstead and to take photos under the blossom tree in full bloom. The group walked past Quarr Abbey and read the information board before returning back through the Abbey's Woodland Walk. The walk finished with refreshments in the garden of the Abbey Café. Mark talked with the group about chapels you can visit and the grave yard behind the main Monastery building.
The Abbey of Our Lady of Quarr is well worth a visit with a Visitors Centre, farm and book shop. You can tour the grounds and step inside the Monastery admiring the art on display.
We hope you enjoy a small selection of the photos from the walk
Why not look at our Green Time flyer for the Saturday 21st May 2022 walk
Equals IW is awarded £4,885 to deliver a new community programme called Green Time - The Natural Way to Good Emotional Well-being and Mental Health.
Equals IW received funding from the Isle of Wight Council to run Green Time as a programme of engagement activities through the Equals IW Friendship Groups. It is open to ages from children to grandparents and to all abilities. Participants will enhance their emotional well-being and mental health through physical exercise, creative stimulation and by taking a closer look at how food and mood are related. It will explore the role of good gut health and the impact food has on our overall mental wellness It will cover specific mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.
Green Time comprises of three core activities
These comprise guided walk sessions.
They will combine either an outdoor craft activity or an outdoor cooking activity linking positive emotional well-being with healthy outdoor food cooking. Delivered through the Equals IW Friendship Group for Friends and Family, these sessions will be open to children with parents, young people and adults with no upper age limit. The walks will enable people of all ages to enjoy the natural outdoors, through gentle physical exercise to stimulate positive emotional well-being and mental health. Exploring the outdoor natural environment through a guided walk gives an opportunity to learn about the local history, wildlife in areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs) on the Isle of Wight. Whilst blending the use of technology (Apps) for Health, Fitness, Mindfulness and Nature.
Walking promotes brain activity and thinking time and will allow participants some mindfulness reflection. People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them an enormous sense of well-being. They feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. It is also a powerful medicine for many common mental health challenges. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression and anxiety. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood and you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a real difference. No matter your age or fitness level, Green Time will enable participants to use exercise as a powerful tool to deal with mental health problems, improve energy, outlook, and get more out of life.
These are three-hour craft sessions delivered through the Equals IW Friendship Group for women.
These sessions are open to women only and will enable them to come together through a range of craft activities that includes making costumes. Sessions will also focus on dance and music as way to physical exercise and to stimulate positive emotional well-being and mental health.
Green Time Green Skills allows participants to be creative through a range of art activities focused on recycling material. Creating art provides a distraction, giving your brain a break from your usual thoughts. The average person has roughly 70,000 thoughts per day and 90% of them are exactly the same, day in and day out. When you are totally immersed in a creative endeavour, you may find yourself in what is known as “the zone” or a state of “flow.” This meditative-like state focuses your mind and temporarily pushes aside all your worries. Creating art trains you to concentrate on details and pay more attention to your environment, in this way, it acts like meditation. Creative activities can also really help people deal with different kinds of trauma and negative feelings, by having a calming effect on the brain and body.
Three-hour sessions delivered through the Equals IW Friendship Group for women. These sessions are open to women only and will enable them to come together with a professional dietitian and see how eating well can help you feel better. Sessions will focus on the importance of eating regularly, staying hydrated and eating a balanced diet. It covers the role of carbohydrates and the right balance of proteins and fats and the importance of vitamins, minerals and looking after your gut health. There are psychological, social and biological benefits of eating meals with other people. Participants will together have an opportunity to learn how to make a selection of healthy foods from different cultures.
Equals IW is awarded £4,885 to deliver a new community programme called Green Time - The Natural Way to Good Emotional Well-being and Mental Health.
Green Time has five key elements running through the entire programme
Green Time - The Natural Way to Good Emotional Well-being and Mental Health
The committee met on Thursday 19th August 2021. As well as items of internal matters the following items were discussed
A copy of the minutes is available on request to the secretary.
Equals IW has taken part in the annual Isle of Wight Mardi Gras event held in Ryde for many years. Sadly this was cancelled in 2020. The New Carnival Company use carnival and celebratory arts to engage people and communities and although the Mardi Gras cannot take place as normal this summer they are planning for some form of event to happen in 2021.
Equals IW took part in a special digital re-launch Zoom held on Wednesday 10 February 2021. The theme for 2021 is 'The Story of Carnival'.
More details from are on the New Carnival Company website.
The minutes of the Equals IW AGM held on Saturday 23rd March 2020 are available on
The meeting discussed many points concerning the structure and finance of Equals.
Main Points of General Interest
The committee listed the following open events that took place in 2019
The Equals IW AGM is to be held on Saturday 14th March 2020.
The next meeting is scheduled Committee meeting is to take place in September 2020.
This is a very brief abstract from the minutes of the meeting.
A copy of the minutes is available on