Next Sunday (9th Jan) I’m going to be launching #WalkWithCharlie – the premise is, every Sunday (where possible) we go out for a virtual walk together, and then using the hashtag, share how we found it & any photos of things we’ve seen.
The word ‘walk’ is a loose one – essentially, the aim is enjoy the outdoors, whilst connecting with others. For many – including myself – this will involve a stroll. However, join however you see fit – perhaps you’d rather run, cycle or just sit outside in the garden for a while.
What time should I leave at?
Set off whatever time works best for you. I’m going to vary the time I set off each week, so head off whenever is good!
How far should I go?
There is no set distance – you may choose to walk a certain length or, like me, you might just leave the house and see where you end up. Don’t worry about what distance others are doing – the main thing is knowing your limits, and enjoying yourself.
When should I tweet?
If you’re going for a walk, you can tweet before, during and/or afterwards. There’s no pressure to tweet at any particular time – just remember, when you do tweet, to use #WalkWithCharlie
What should I tweet before my walk?
Before, you might want to tweet about what you’re hoping to see, the distance you’re planning to cover, and/or who you’ll be going with (if anyone is joining you!) If you’re struggling to leave the house, and need a bit of motivation, you could tweet about it using the hashtag – that way, myself or others will be able to see you’re having a hard time, and offer you words of encouragement (or, in my case, a motivational GIF).
Before I set off each week, I’ll post a cheesy selfie (complete with a thumbs up… you know the one) to let you know I’ve left the house. If you fancy it, you could do the same (cheesy selfie optional).
What should I tweet during?
During your outing, you might tweet about how you’re feeling. Good or bad, we want to know. We’re here to support each other so, if you are finding it harder than expected, tell us – and we can help cheer you on.
What should I tweet afterwards?
Afterwards, you could share how you found your outing – was it better or worse than expected? Would you do the same route again? What would you do differently next time?
Photos are actively encouraged (though, by no means, a necessity!) It doesn’t matter what the scenery was like, why not show everyone a glimpse of your part of the world? You could share a photo of a view, some wildlife you found, and/or a selfie. If you take a dog with you, it’d be fab to post a picture of them (I swear, this whole premise isn’t just one, big elaborate plan to get lots of pet pics…) You could also include videos!
You could share an update from Strava (or another fitness app) – however, I ask, if you do this, please try not to include information about calories burnt, as I know some people find this hard to see.
How can I ensure my tweets are accessible for visually impaired people?
It’s very important that #WalkWithCharlie is as inclusive as possible so, when posting a photo, please add alternative text – this is a short description of what’s in an image, and means it can also be enjoyed by visually impaired people who use screen readers. If you’re unfamiliar with doing so, you can find out more here.
Also, when using the hashtag, please capitalise the start of each word, so it looks like this: #WalkWithCharlie
How can I see what other people are tweeting?
To see what other people are tweeting, simply search for the hashtag #WalkWithCharlie – you’ll be able to see what others have posted, and can like & reply to them. It doesn’t matter whether you know the person or not, one of the aims of this is to build a friendly, online community – and get us talking to people we might’ve not interacted with before. I’ll aim to respond as much as I can, but may struggle to reply to everyone – so please search the hashtag, and tweet others who are joining in.
Note: If your account is locked, only those who follow you will be able to see the tweets you’ve posted.
I want to join – but don’t want to tweet…
That’s absolutely fine! There’s absolutely no pressure to tweet. You could still interact with others, or just scroll through the hashtag, and enjoy what people are sharing.
If you want to tweet, but are unsure what to say, I’ll do a thread of some example tweets later this week, which could work as a template.
I’m unable to leave the house – can I still join?
Of course! #WalkWithCharlie is for everyone, whether you’re able to get out, or not. You could interact with other people’s tweets, or share some words of encouragement. You could share a picture from your garden, or a view from outside your window.
I’m sure many people (myself included) will have a cuppa when back – you could always join in by having a hot drink, and tweeting about your day in general. I don’t want anyone to feel excluded, and would love for you to get involved whether you can get out, or not!
Sundays don’t work for me – can I do a different day instead?
I know Sundays aren’t good for everyone – depending on how things go, I’ll likely look to start a second weekly session. For now though, you could tweet about a walk you did earlier in the week, or just have a look at what everyone else has been up to!
If you can’t tweet on a Sunday, then feel free to tweet on a different day, using the hashtag. I’ll check the hashtag a couple of times a week, so should hopefully still see it.
Can I post about it on another social media platform?
Whilst this will mainly be on Twitter, I’ve also set up an Instagram account – you can find it by going here
It’s the same premise – post your pics, or share them to your story, using the #WalkWithCharlie – I will aim to check it – however, to begin with I’ll be largely focussing on Twitter, and would recommend using that if possible.
I have another question…
If there’s something I haven’t covered, feel free to tweet me @CharlieRSmith1 using #WalkWithCharlie and I’ll do my best to answer it
This is very much a work in progress, and I’ll be monitoring it week-by-week to see if any changes need to be made.
But, for now, let’s join together & enjoy the great outdoors! Can’t wait to get started.
Charlie's Mind 