PEOPLE buying a home in the Coleford area are being made aware of the town’s “warmth to visitors” from the very start of their journey thanks to a local estate agent.

The Coleford branch of Steve Gooch Estate Agents has agreed to promote the town’s ‘Walkers are Welcome’ accreditation on all of its future property information profiles, in order to highlight Coleford as a destination for people who enjoy the outdoors.

The agreement is a collaboration between the branch and Coleford Welcomes Walkers (CWW), which is the voluntary group working to improve and maintain footpaths and other areas of the town for residents and visitors.

The detail will be added to all information profiles, with the permission of the seller.

CWW is part of the national Walkers are Welcome network, which aims to support accredited towns in promoting the health and wellbeing benefits of walking, and the boost that welcoming walkers can give to the local economy.

Gooch’s information profile for Coleford properties reads: “Coleford became the first, of hopefully many more towns in the Forest of Dean District to have gained accreditation to the Walkers are Welcome UK network.

“Walkers are Welcome has a membership of over 100 towns and villages in the UK, whose main aim is to assist with our respective communities’ economic growth, physical health and mental well-being through walking.”

Group Chair Debbie Sturgess said: “This is a great way to reach an audience looking to move into Coleford, highlighting the towns warmth to visitors.

“Being recognised as a WaW town raises the towns profile to those that enjoy the outdoors, it emits an acknowledgement that the footpaths will be being maintained and that the ethos of WaW is being followed to improve the town for all.

“CWW thanks Matthew Hatton, Branch Manager and his team for supporting its work.”

For more information about CWW, go to www.colefordwelcomeswalkers.co.uk, or find them on social media.