A TOWN walking group has received a £200 boost.

Ferryhill Town Council has awarded the money to the Ferryhill Group of Walkers from Sedgefield Borough Council's Walking The Way to Health Initiative.

The walking group encourages residents to walk more often, provides advice on healthy lifestyles, works with people recovering after illness, produces and distributes local route maps and helps usually isolated people to socialise.

Since it started last April, it has had a weekly attendance of between 25 and 30 walkers.

It meets in the town hall gardens every Monday at 10am, and new walkers are welcome.