OUtdoor Folkey – Join our outdoor community

Nadescha Trudel moved to Folkestone in the summer of 2025.  Originally from the German countryside, the concrete jungle of London wasn’t giving her the lift she needed. Yet, on her visits to Folkestone, she found she connected with the space and the town, and decided within two weeks to leave the city and move here.  Once here, she needed a group of friends who had a like-minded love of nature, so set up Outdoor Folkey.  This is a group that spends time in the countryside around Folkestone, walking and enjoying life outside.  Folkelife met up to find out more.

“I find I need to get away by myself and find space to clear my head and calm down from the stress of life.  I’d never been to Folkestone so thought I would give it a try.  When I got here, I walked along the cliffs and just loved the space.  It’s so beautiful and feels so connected to nature. The vibe in the whole town is really friendly. 

“So, I came more and more, and brought my sister along one time.  That’s when I started to think aloud that this was the place for me.  Everywhere I’ve lived up to now has been due to my work.  Yet, here, I am not far from London, my work takes me to Spain as well, so it doesn’t really matter where I am based.  I decided to move here.  It’s the first place I’ve lived because of me.  And I love it.”

outdoor folkey

“After I’d been here for two months, continuing to work in London and Barcelona, I found that I hadn’t really socialised.  I had been looking for hiking groups, but couldn’t find any.  The next logical step was for me to start one.  I am part of the Wednesday Swimming Group and asked those guys if they would be interested in coming on a walk with me and they were up for it.  So we started. 

“I want each outing to be authentic.  It’s about connecting to nature, and within that, you can find people who you connect with too. I think it helps you make more meaningful connections, and there’s always something to talk about, or to experience, so you don’t have to speak all the time.”

regular meet ups

“We meet every two to three weeks and started off with about 6 of us.  Now, we’re at 16 to 17 people at each walk, which is great.  But the really nice thing about it is that it’s community led.  So, one person will have an idea of where to take us, and I’ll do all the admin, advertising on socials etc.  They will plan the walk and lead us around pointing out the reasons why we should discover this part of the countryside. 

“It’s important for me that people contribute to this group, which makes it a community-owned group.  It makes it more rewarding for everyone. Every hike is different, because everyone has a different experience of Folkestone. Each person has a story to tell.”

taking ownership

“It’s funny, when people start their walk, they’re a bit nervous to begin with.  But by the end of it, everyone has relaxed and they feel so proud because they can see everyone else enjoying their walk. Sometimes I think people forget how important these social interactions are.  Maybe, getting out and doing something is an uncomfortable place to start with, but it soon becomes a relaxed and enjoyable experience that many come back for more.

“The hikes are 8 to 9 miles long, so not too long, but long enough for everyone to feel relaxed and to have enjoyed themselves.  It is tiring to be around people for 3 to 5 hours, and doing exercise as well, so this is just long enough to be perfect.”

creative folkestone

“The people who are coming along really are from all walks of Folkestone.  We’ve got Kat, who’s a yoga teacher, running a walk for us.  Thomas, who runs the Folkestone Wombles, did some pumpkin carving with us in October.  Poppy and Philli took us on their favourite walks where we saw the animals at Port Lympne and the disused railway at Peene. 

“I collect leaves or items from the walk and then package them up for our leaders as a thank you present.  It’s always nice to be appreciated and to have something as individual, relating to the walk that means so much to you, it a nice touch.”

collaborations

“It goes without saying that we have all made connections, which are proving useful in other walks of life. People are suggesting other activities to do, so not just hiking. We’ve had a sauna outing already. But golf and clay-pigeon shooting are on the list to do as well.  There are now about 70 people in our WhatsApp group which means that others are happy to take the lead on these different initiatives. 

“It’s also a good place to ask if people want to go out for a walk in the evening.  In the winter, when it’s dark, it’s not something you want to do by yourself, but if you know there’s a group going, you can still get out and about, with a group of people you know you like.”

To find out about the next walk, visit their Instagram, which also has details of the WhatsApp group.