All our walks are led by members of the group. Anyone who is a paid-up member of the Ramblers and who has been on a few walks with us can lead a walk. You don't need any special qualifications, just find a good walk that you would like to share with other people.
Below is a step by step guide on how to get your walk published onto the website using the Ramblers Walks Manager system.
Complete the walk leader e-learning course which can be found on Ramblers Assemble. It will help you develop the skills and confidence you need to lead great group walks. The course consists of 6 modules and takes about an hour to complete. It provides information about planning a walk, what to take with you, and how to be prepared in case of an incident.
If you are unable to access Assemble, you will need to contact Ramblers with your full name, membership number and the group your membership is associated with. The best way to contact Ramblers is by sending an email to volunteersupport@ramblers.zendesk.com which will create a ticket on their support system.
Once logged into Ramblers Assemble, go to your profile then the training tab and find the course with the heading Walk Leadership Foundations.
Research premade routes or you can make one up yourself using tools such as OS Maps or others. You can use guide books, websites or you could ask other members. A walk which offers good views always goes down well with the group. Use Google Street View to get an idea of the surrounding area.
Think about things such as:
Once you've decided on the route you'd like to lead, go recce it. It's a good idea to recce the walk with someone who ideally will be coming on the actual walk. Ask in our Facebook group, message the committee through Facebook or ask someone when on one of our walks.
At the end of your recce, it's worth looking at a local pub or cafe to see what is available for a large group.Make a note on things such as:
Make sure to take some photos which can be used to advertise your walk.
Decide on a date for your walk, making sure it's available. Where possible, submit your walk with at least 4 weeks notice. Check our Upcoming Walks and Socials. Also make sure the date of your walk doesn't clash with other walking groups starting their walk from the same place if there is limited parking.
To get your walk onto the website, first you will need to make sure you have access to the Ramblers Assemble system.
If you are unable to access Assemble, you will need to contact Ramblers with your full name, membership number and the group your membership is associated with. The best way to contact Ramblers is by sending an email to volunteersupport@ramblers.zendesk.com which will create a ticket on their support system.
Once you have access to Assemble, email the Walks Secretary at walks@gybo.org.uk requesting to be added as a walk leader. Your profile on Assemble will be updated with the Walk Leader role which will give you access to the Walks Manager. This replaces the GWEM (Group Walks Events Manager) system.
Once you have access to the Walks Manager, you can submit your walk. You have the option of saving it as a draft so you don't need to complete it all in one go. You may find it easier to complete the form on a laptop/computer rather than a mobile phone.
To add a walk, press the Add a Walk button and follow the instructions. For more information see the Ramblers Walks Manager Guidance.
You can add up to 5 photos to your walk submission without the need to compress them first. At the time of writing, there is a bug with the system, if you submit too many photos at once the webpage will display a 504 error. You can workaround this issue by uploading one photo then pressing the save button. Go back to the page and repeat. Ramblers are working on this and it should be fixed soon.
If you are happy with your walk submission, submit it for approval. The Walks Secretary will review your submission and approve it providing there are no changes required. We will create a Facebook event for your walk, but this might not be until a few days later.
You can go back and make amendments if you need to. If you make any amendments after your walk is approved, it will need approving again.
If you want to display your name and contact details on the walk description, you will need to change your privacy settings. To adjust these settings, select the profile icon then Contact preferences to open the Your contact information page. Here you can see your display name, contact number and email address. Choose which to display by selecting the relevant checkbox under Permission.
It can be helpful to allow members to contact you by email (your email address isn't displayed, it uses a contact form) and to give your phone number, especially if anyone needs to get in touch with you on the day of the walk.
Before the day of your walk, fill in the walk leader checklist (risk assessment). This is as simple as checking some boxes and writing a few notes if applicable. Keep a copy of this for yourself. You do not need to send it to the Walks Secretary.
You can find the checklist on Ramblers Assemble in either PDF or Word format. There are many other documents on here with information about leading walks.
You've recced your walk, submitted it, filled in the walk leader checklist and the day has arrived. It's best to arrive early to give yourself plenty of time to get ready and make it known you're the walk leader.
Before setting off, round everyone up, introduce yourself and the walk. A good tip is to go round in a circle, have everyone say their name and ask members of the committee and first timers to raise their hands.
If you have a large group, you may want to ask your recce buddy or an experienced member to be backmarker. This can help you to make sure you are keeping the group together and avoid leaving anyone behind.