Peak Park Leisure Walkers celebrate their 20th anniversary with a specially decorated cake. Flanking the cake, on the left is leisure walks co-ordinator Christina Porter, and on the right, oldest walker 98-year-old Charles Harvey.

A group that helps people with ill health take walks in the Peak District has celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Peak Parks Leisure Walks also enable those with lack of confidence or who are socially isolated enjoy the national park countryside.

Peak District National Park Authority rangers and volunteers stage the walk 10 times a year. The authority chair Tony Favell joined the group for part of their final walk of the year from Bakewell along the Monsal Trail, including the longest reopened tunnel Headstone Tunnel, to Monsal Halt. They stopped for a picnic lunch and later, tea and a celebratory cake at Great Longstone.

He told the gathering: “I wish you all a very happy 20th anniversary celebration and I hope you continue to enjoy these excellent walks for another 20 years.”

The oldest walker is 98-year-old Charles Harvey, a retired county court officer from Wirksworth, who joins the walks with his daughter. He said: “I started coming when I was 95. I used to go walking with my wife, and I’ve always liked to go out for healthy exercise. I enjoy the company, and as I no longer drive it’s a wonderful way of discovering new places.”

Diane Whelbourn, of Darley Dale, who has been a leisure walker for five years, said: “When you’re on your own it’s lovely to come out and mix with people. It gives you the motivation to exercise and get to places you wouldn’t go on your own. The leisure walks do me a lot of good – when you’re in the fresh air any problems you’ve had seem to fade into the background.”

Peak Park Leisure Walks were originally set up as a partnership between the High Peak and Dales Primary Care Trust and the National Park ranger service, with volunteers from Bakewell & Eyam Community Transport providing a pick-up service.

The walkers need a high level of support, and some of the volunteer rangers have been helping them right from the start.

From 2008, leisure walks co-ordinator Christina Porter secured funding for a Next Steps programme for the more able walkers to progress to general ranger-guided walks, still supported by community transport.

And this year Peak Park Pedals cycle-rides were launched to expand the opportunities for healthy exercise.

Some of the cyclists had not been on a bike for 40 years but managed to complete six rides, including two on the Monsal Trail through the newly re-opened former railway tunnels.

The cake was cut by Audrey Foster, the leisure walker who has been coming out the longest – 15 years – and volunteer ranger Baz Booler, who helped right from the start. One of the scheme’s originators, Julie Hirst of the primary care trust, also joined them.