OGMG UK & IRELAND - GALILEE WALK - 12 Tips for a successful sponsored walk - Map of Hyde Park and how to get there

UK, LONDON - The much awaited event of the Easter weekend will kick off on Easter Monday in London, Hyde Park on April 2nd. If you are attending, here are 12 useful tips for the Hyde Park GALILEE WALK Event organised by the OGMG UK & IRELAND.

OGMGUK and Ireland is an association of old girls of Methodist Girls High School in Lagos, Nigeria. Most of the old girls attended the school between 1970s and 1980s. The association is made up of over 200 old girls.

The purpose of the association is to help raise funds for their old school to rebuild, renovate and refurbish the school. Members of OGMGUK and Ireland live in the UK and in Ireland as the name suggests.

The Galilee Walk is an initiative to raise funds to build one of the old buildings which has now fallen into disrepair. The aim of the Galilee alk is to raise £7000 for a new building. The OGMG UK and Ireland are joining forces with other old girls around the world to make the project an awesome success.

If you are new to Hyde Park here are some useful tips for you...

Map of Hyde Park

Tube stations nearest to the park are Marble Arch and Oxford Street. There are several buses on this route, check this travel planner out. When you come out of the station and look for the park and head straight to the Speaker's Corner. This is the meeting point. Speakers' Corner is a round building located on the north-east edge of Hyde Park. The building hss a roof and can be used as shelter from rain.

There is also parking available at £10 per day.

At Speaker"s Corner, you will meet the registration team from OGMG UK & Ireland.

Entrance to the Speaker's Corner

The route is sort of, in a circlular path. You will will start from the registration point and finish at the registration point.

8km = 60 minutes of fast walking
The walk is for 8km. This is will roughly take between jalf an hour to 90 minutes to walk depending on speed. Here are estimates from verywellfit. Fast walking - 7 minutes per kilometre.  Moderate walking: 10 minutes per kilometre Easy walking: 12.5 minutes per kilometre. This works out at around 90 minutes for easy walking.

Wear comfortable clothing
Jogging suits, slacks, trainers, walking shoes, waterproof clothing, warm clothing and so on. You could probably add a hint of red to stand out from the crowd.

Guides will help you on your way
You will find OGMG 'Guides' along the trail who will show you the way if you get lost. You can also make phone calls to the coordinators in case you find yourself in any unfamiliar area.

Stretch before you start walking
If you have not done any physical training in the past few days or weeks, take regular breaks along the route. Stretch frequently and most importantly take it easy.

Ride a bike
You can hire a cycle from the Santander docknng station just outside the north gates near Speaker's Corner for £2 a day.

Drink water
Although, the weather has become quite cold and wet, walking can be tiring and you may get thirsty quickly. Take regular sips of water to hydrate and energise you.

Take pictures and videos
Record a memory of the event. The hashtag for this event is #GalileeWalk - use this tag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Please, ask people for their permission before posting online. Many people don't mind but some do.

Above all, have fun!

To make a donation, please call 07454387636. 

Morin Okenla, is an artist, design and philanthropist. 
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Learn to sew at the Pretty Things to Make - Sewing Academy

Book a sewing class with your family and friends. Many sewing classes are social events and not just sewing. Take some snacks along or book a special event. You will not only learn a new skill,

How to hire a Santander Cycle

Why not explore London by riding on Santander bikes? At £2 for hiring, that's a fair bagain. Getting started is easy. Simply hire a bike, ride it where you like, then return it to any docking station. Here is how to ride a bike across London...

Step 1 - Hire

• Go to the nearest docking station terminal with your debit or credit card and touch the screen to begin
• Choose 'Hire a cycle', follow the on-screen instructions and take the printed release code
• You can hire up to four bikes at the same time (you'll need a separate release code for each bike). 

Tip: Santander Cycles is for short trips so, once you have paid the £2 bike access fee for 24 hours, you can make as many journeys as you like within that time and the first 30 minutes of each journey is included. Longer journeys cost £2 for each extra 30 minutes or less.

Tip: Each bike release code is valid for 10 minutes and only at that docking station. Bikes are valuable so don't let anyone see your code before you use it.

Step 2 - Ride

• Take a moment to read our tips for safer cycling at the terminal
• Choose your bike and check the tyres, brakes and bell
• Type your five-digit release code into the docking point's keypad and pull the bike out when the green light appears
• Adjust the saddle height and you're good to go!

Tip: The bikes have lights that come on automatically when you start pedalling.

Step 3 - Return

• Push the bike firmly into any empty docking point
• You must wait for the green light, which will show that the bike is securely docked (otherwise we will continue to charge you for your journey). If you don't get a green light, call the Contact Centre immediately on 0343 222 6666 (TfL call charges)
• If the docking station is full, choose 'No docking point free' at the terminal and follow the on-screen directions to get an extra 15 minutes included
• To find a nearby space if the docking station is full, choose 'Status of nearest docking station' at the terminal.
• Remember, if you're not using the bike, dock it back!

Tip: If the bike is unsafe to ride, please let us know it needs repairing by pressing the 'Fault' button on the docking point within 10 seconds of docking it. Turn the saddle backwards to show others that it needs repairing.

17 fun activities to do this Easter

London, UK - Happy Easter to all my beautiful readers! Here in London, weather forecasts show that it will be rain, rain and rain all the way. We are all used to sunny spring time at Easter... So, what is there to do instead of slopping around the house or sitting in front of the TV for the next two days? If you you want somewhere to take kids to burn off their excess Easter egg energy? (or perhaps your own)... 

Here are 17 fun activities to do this Easter that will cost you less than £50 for a family of four for the whole day.

Rent an Airbnb and spend Easter Sunday and Monday visiting the neighbourhood
For about £25, a family of two adults and two children can travel on the bus around London. Grab a bag of fish and chips, find a comfortable seat upstairs and enjoy your trip around central London.

Visit Hyde Park in London. Here you will find an array of activities. Though it may be wet, cover up and enjoy a fun boat ride on the Serpentine. You can also hire a Santander bicycle for £2 for the whole day to ride around the park and even the city. Make sure you dock the bike at a bike docking station after every 2 hours otherwise you may have a pay a hefty fine.

Go swimming at London's top swimming pools. When it is cold and wet, there is nothing more fun that going for a swim in warm water. Yes, warm water! Most swimming pools in London are heated up to a maximum temperature of 28 degrees centigrade. Enough to keep you comfortable and at the same time produce endorphins to get your happy juices flowing as you exercise.
Go fishing. This may sound like..."Oh no, not that!" But, do you know that rainy days are the best days to catch fish. The best fishing rivers and canals in London include River Wandle in south London, The Duke of Edinburg in west London. You can relax and watch the world float by as you wait for your first bite. 

Visit the Shard for a meal with a difference. The Shard is the highest building in London which is the equivalence of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Here, you can view most of the city view of London from this stunning building. Situated on level 33, Oblix Restaurant serves a fascinating and diverse European cuisine. You can start off with warm artisan bread and butter for £4 and end up with chocolate truffles for £7. Eating at the Shard will make you feel like you are on top of the world!

Visit friends and family. This is a classic. Of course, that is the most natural thing to do. But, this time, why not visit with a difference. Cook a lovely exotic meal and take it along with some of the most popular board games of all time. Plus, you can watch a nice film such as the Passion Of Christ! 

Rent a holiday home or caravan at the seaside. Although, it may rain, why not make the most of a new experience and environment Go somewhere you have never been before and explore the wild life, cafes and local fancies. A nice place to visit is the village of Little Hampton in Sussex.

Do a spring clean. This is the only time of the year when households have a long weekend to get a good clean out done. Start early and your home should be sparkly clean. The more the merrier so get your whole family, especially the little ones cleaning and tidying up. Put on some music you like and the whole activity will turn to fun. Old clothes, unwanted gifts and furniture can be donated to your local charity.

Why not see the different exotic fish that you may find under the sea at the London Aquarium. Your little ones will enjoy peeking at sharks, tropical fish and big mighty whales!
Turn up at a dance class. Work out that pent up energy and dance to pop music at a Zumba dance session. There are now family Zumba classes where everyone both young and old can have a massive and fun work out for as little as £7.

Book a sewing class with your family and friends. Many sewing classes are social events and not just tedious sewing. Take some snacks along or book a special event. You will not only learn a new skill, you will make a special product to take home and have lots of fun with people with similar interests at the same time.

Prepare your favourite meals with all the trimmings. Make sure you buy your ingredients from your localmarket where food is relatively cheaper than in the stores. Make big fuzz while you prepare the dishes. 

Use vintage dishes, cutlery and cups to serve your meals this weekend. You can also get plates from Poundland or from your local charity shops. Finally, involve every member of your family in the preparations, cooking, serving and washing up.  Take pictures and share your expertise on social media.

Go to the theatre and watch a play. This play is about black men in the UK. It is both political and entertaining. ‘Misty’ was written by Award winning, BAFTA-nominated film writer and actor-playwright Arinzé Kene. Mitsy is now showing at the Bush Theatre for £10-£20. 



Try out Pop Brixton with freinds. Spend the evening at the Pop Brixton Free Easter Party. Sunday, 12-3pm. Free. Pop Brixton is putting on a free, all-ages Hip-Hopathon.

As well as hip-hop tunes from DJs Spin Doctor and Russ Ryan and dancing. Tama the dance teacher can show you some moves, but if you’re not into dancing there is a graffiti train, baby play area, food stalls and a book stall. 

Try out sumptuous food at Smoke & Salt, Pop Brixton. Based in a former shipping container, this funky restaurant offer platable menus on small-plates joint. 

Pop Up MakersMarket. V&A Museum of Childhood. Friday. Free entry. Mongle with creatives and enjoy workshops on art, prints and homeware from independent designers, plus crafty Easter workshops.

Easter Day Party. Pitch. Sat. £4-£8. Top DJs, House & Disco music, street food kiosks, Easter treats, a glitter station, bean bags for lounging in and inflatables all at the Pitch Stratford x Jamboree London.

A 5km hunt for treats, followed by mimosa supping. If you're feeling peppy post-Mimosa, hop over to London Zoo next door and get an early viewing with the Penguins ahead of the bank holiday crowds. This is just for the grown ups. Eggs and Run included - Mimosas an optional add on afterwards.

Watch the beautiful sight of ‘Flotilla’ on Regent’s Canal at Merchant Square. From Friday to Monday. At this free event you will see a 180-strong flotilla of illuminated origami boats released and floating in the canaL.There will be food stalls serving scrumptious treats on the tow path. Everyone welcome!



I am sure that by the time you try a couple of these fun filled avtivities who would have had a smashing Easter weekend! Enjoy!

Words: Morin Okenla, artist, designer and philanthropist
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