How to Start a Walking Group in Your Neighbourhood

When Surry Hills’ Tracy Lin posted a notice outside Bourke Street Bakery in late May inviting neighbours to join her for weekly Friday evening walks, she had no idea her group would swell to more than 30 participants in just a month. The Surry Hills Steppers, as they now call themselves, snake from Prince Alfred Park to Hyde Park each week, the chatter almost as energising as the exercise.

Making Connections, Step by Step

The groundswell of local walking groups in Sydney isn’t just about getting fresh air or hitting daily step goals. As the city emerges from the disruptions of recent years – a pandemic, climate concerns, and growing pressures on individual wellbeing – finding connection in real life has rarely felt so urgent. Community fitness events are springing up from Manly’s coastal walk to the paths of Centennial Parklands. Many newcomers, especially those recently arrived from overseas or interstate, say it’s a way to get to know their neighbourhoods as well as neighbours.

Established groups like the Bondi to Coogee Walkers, organised by the Eastern Suburbs Community Health Centre, are now routinely attracting over 50 locals on Saturday mornings, rain or shine. Meanwhile, in the Inner West, Marrickville Moves started with a casual post on the Nextdoor app and now boasts an active WhatsApp group, with weekly routes looping between Addison Road Community Centre and Cooks River. Many of these grassroots initiatives cite community grants or small sponsorships from local council programs such as the City of Sydney's Healthy Lifestyles initiative, which finished its current round in June.

By the Numbers – and How to Begin

Health authorities say participation is growing. According to the latest Active Lives survey (2025), more than 15% of adults in Greater Sydney reported joining a regularly organised walking group last year, up from just 8% five years earlier. Group walks are free or low cost – the only typical expense is the occasional coffee at the finish line (expect $4.80 for a flat white at local favourites like Gumption or Single O). Major fitness franchises and councils alike are increasingly listing community walks alongside yoga in the park and amateur footy on their event calendars.

Starting a neighbourhood walking group is remarkably simple. Regulars recommend setting a clear time and meeting point – such as Newtown’s Camperdown Park gates or North Sydney’s Milsons Point Station – and publicising with flyers at local cafes, posts in relevant Facebook groups (try 'Sydney Walks & Fitness' or your suburb's community page), and messages through community centres. Sydney City Council even provides a printable poster template through its website. Consider mapping out two or three safe, scenic routes between 2–5 km to suit all fitness levels.

Once numbers pick up, it helps to create a text group or WhatsApp chat to send out reminders and updates on weather or route changes. Insurance and complex planning aren’t needed for informal walks, but walkers should be reminded to dress appropriately and stay hydrated – particularly for longer jaunts around the more exposed stretches like Barangaroo Reserve or the cliffs above Bronte.

With Sydney’s mild winter and the city’s council-supported focus on active lifestyles, the start of July is proving a natural launchpad for new groups. Growing your walking circle may help you see your local streets, and your neighbours, in a whole new light.