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On Saturday 5th June, we led 10 walkers on our first day trip further afield in over a year, from Brockenhurst station, through the New Forest and out to the sea in Lymington.
Thank you to everyone who came – we both had a lovely day!
We couldn’t have asked for better weather – it was hot and sunny all day!
We started with a meander through the New Forest from Brockenhurst, stopping for lunch under the trees.
The forest decided to test our balancing skills… Luckily no-one fell in!
Out of the forest, we walked through the Hampshire countryside, enjoying the sight of many horses!
Unfortunately, when we reached the Lymington River, the footpath was thick with mud… Thankfully, the pub stop was not far off!!!
Suitably refreshed, we walked on through Lymington town (stopping for some very welcome ice-cream!) and along the harbour.
We walked around the Lymington Nature Reserve, giving us excellent views out towards the Isle of Wight.
Finally, we had time to get some tasty fish and chips, spotting a golden post box(!), before heading back home.
Hopefully this will be the first of many days out this year!!
Walk report from Shannon & Zak
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Leading your first walk can be a daunting – but rewarding – experience. We’ve put this simple guide together to help answer any questions you might have about leading a walk!
Every walk starts with an idea: maybe it’s a location, or a sight you want to see. Luckily, we have put together a handy list of sources to provide inspiration for you! Once you have a rough idea of where you want to walk, it’s time to plan your route!
The first thing to do is check the public transport options near your chosen location: can you easily start the walk at a train station or a bus stop? If you can’t, that’s totally fine – we like car only walks too! It’s just more inclusive to include public transport options. Google maps can be very helpful for this.
Next, you need to plan your route on a map. You can do this the old-fashioned way and use a paper map or use an app or website which shows you where the footpaths are, such as OS maps.
Once you have your map, have a look for interesting features near your chosen location. In OS maps, you can look for viewpoints, nature reserves, castles, or other interesting sites to walk past. Think about the type of terrain you’ll walk through – is there woodland, fields, heathland? Can you walk along a river?
Sketch out a route of your chosen length (easy walks are usually about 6 miles, challenging walks over 10 miles), avoiding busy main roads and sticking to footpaths where possible. Just plan a route that you fancy walking! There is no set recipe for what you walk should include 
Once you have your route ready, it’s important to recce the walk. You can do this on your own or bring a friend(s)! The point of a recce is to check out the route so you know where to go on the day – it’s fine to go the wrong way when there’s only one or two of you but getting 30 people to retrace their steps would be hard work!
It’s also good to keep an eye out for potential lunch locations (if it’s going to be a day hike) and anything which might cause an issue when you lead the walk (such as closed footpaths or broken bridges!).
Take some nice photos on the way and write an appealing description of the walk as soon as you get back, so you don’t forget! The better your description, the more popular your walk is likely to be!
Next, it’s time to submit your walk to the walks programme!
As a starting point,
Then, decide how many people you feel comfortable leading on this route. This is entirely up to you! Our members like walks with anything from 10 to 30 people on them! You can also choose to have a walk buddy come with you for moral support – this means that your buddy is guaranteed a spot on the walk!
You should now be ready to complete the “submit a walk” form. Note that you can leave the “grid reference” and “latitude / longitude” boxes blank if starting from a well-known location like a train station. If this is your first walk, you will also need to complete the “volunteer to be a walk leader” form first.
Finally, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, you will need to complete a simple risk assessment. The form is only two pages and quite straightforward, and we have written some tips on completing the form here. Download the form from the Ramblers website and complete it as best you can, and then email it to the walks coordinator (
Arrive promptly to the start location at the agreed time. The walks coordinator will have emailed you with a list of people who have signed up to the walk – check that everyone on this list has turned up. If anyone is missing, give them a call to ask them if they are coming. If after 5-10 minutes they have not turned up, and have not answered their phone, feel free to assume they won’t make it.
Give a “welcome to the walk” talk to your walkers. This is brief talk where you say “thanks for coming”, “make sure you socially distance” (while the law requires this), “if you are new, please join the Ramblers after 2-3 walks”, and remind people of any other upcoming events which they can sign up for.
If you would like a backmarker (i.e. someone to stay at the back of the group to make sure no one gets left behind), you can ask for a volunteer now. Having a backmarker is particularly important with large groups of walkers!
[Note: if you feel uncomfortable at the prospect of addressing a big group of people, let our walks coordinator know when you submit your walk, and they will find someone from the committee, or an experienced walk leader to come along and give the welcome talk.]
You did it!!! Now, all that’s left is to enjoy leading your walk!
You can choose to lead from the front, or in the middle of the group – just make sure everyone goes the right way!
At places where you change paths, it’s good to wait for the rest of the group to catch up, and do a head count every now and then to make sure you have everyone! Remember to stop every so often so you and your walkers can have a drink (particularly if it’s warm) and stop for lunch at your chosen location. If lunch is late, you may need to give your walkers time to have a snack before continuing, so they don’t run out of energy!
If you do end up going the wrong way: that’s okay! Even our most experienced walk leaders make mistakes sometimes. Just apologise and correct the mistake as best you can, and no-one will mind .
If you have a particularly quiet voice (like myself) you may wish to bring a whistle, or someone with a loud voice to get the attention of your walkers if necessary!
Thanks for reading – we are looking forward to your walk!!
Author – Shannon Jones (ordinary member)
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On Sunday 16th May, I led a new member “welcome walk” from Thatcham station. It was a nice easy walk – only 6.5 miles, but with varied scenery. We walked along the canal, through Bowdown woods and out through Greenham Common.
The walk filled up days before the event – with several people contacting us because they couldn’t make it but wanted to walk with us!
The weather held out for the first half of the walk, and we enjoyed a nice, sheltered lunch looking down the hill towards fields of bluebells! Unfortunately, the second half of the walk became very wet! Hopefully, this won’t have deterred any of the newcomers from joining us on another walk soon.
Although we encourage new members to join us on any walk they like, it can be daunting for people to turn up and be the only new person. New member walks remove this barrier and makes new members feel more at ease!
If you feel you could lead one of these walks, please
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I think a lot of people will agree with me that the latest lockdown has been the most difficult. When the Government released the road map details out of the lockdown restrictions, the Berkshire Walkers Committee arranged a Committee Meeting within a few days so we could discuss how to get our (socially distanced) group walks started again!
So our walking journey began (again) and we had our first 3 walks planned for the Easter weekend. These walks proved to be popular as spaces filled up in just over 24 hours! Since then we have had at least 2 walks each weekend and all walks have been fully booked. Speaking to some of the attendees on the walks, they are appreciative on how quickly we got group walks started again. The demand for our group walks is higher than we have seen before.
We are regularly contacted by keen Ramblers who find us on the internet or via our social media pages asking for details about our group walks and how to join – we later see that they have booked onto and attended our walks! The calendar on our website is steadily filling up again – the weekly email to members is more than just online socials now (I’m so bored of Zoom meetings!)
We are seeing new walk leaders submitting walks and some of our walk leaders who haven’t led a walk since before the first lockdown are now submitting walks again! There is a big appetite for group walks – either leading or coming along on a walk. It’s nice to be able to get back out into the countryside with people other than just your household, support bubble or 1 other person.
Personally for me, being back out group walking is not only physically beneficial but mentally beneficial too! I need to start thinking and researching into more new routes to lead walks and get them submitted to the group!
Jason Owen
Publicity Officer
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Group walks and COVID-19
Due to coronavirus, there are extra steps we need to take to organise and lead walks safely. Please visit the Ramblers website for the latest updates and guidance. It’s essential for all members to consider the following questions, when deciding whether to take part in our activities:
- Do you or someone else from your household have COVID-19 symptoms?
- Are you or someone you live with ‘clinically vulnerable’?
- Do you want to volunteer, and do you feel safe and comfortable doing so?
Risk assessment
The Ramblers template is a tool to help you plan and lead group walks safely. Use it to assess whether your walk is safe to go ahead. It includes suggestions for ways to control the risks. The important thing is to identify potential hazards and note any actions you will take to reduce the risk.
You must do a risk assessment for each walk. Ramblers insurance requires this.
It’s important to carry out a risk assessment before your walk takes place. You should start filling it out when planning your walk, and update it with any extra hazards that you notice on your recce. Although we advise doing a recce, it’s not compulsory.
You do not need to tick every box.
You can tick off the following points which our website walk listings and booking forms cover:
- Give clear information about booking to limit the group size.
- Remind walkers beforehand about the guidelines, including on travel and transport.
- Ensure you have a record of who attended the walk.
- Suggest walkers bring hand sanitiser and/or wear gloves.
You can download the risk assessment template as a PDF or Word doc from https://www.ramblers.org.uk/volunteer-zone/coronavirus/volunteering.
Once you’ve submitted a walk and risk assessment, our committee will handle booking, let you know who’ll be attending, and keep contact details and risk assessments for the recommended period.
On your walk
Hold a welcome briefing. As well as your normal checks and introductions, remind everyone about physical distancing, hygiene measures and any particular hazards on the route.
Keep up to date and follow the latest government guidelines on social contact and physical distancing. This is everyone’s responsibility.
Walk responsibly. When other walkers are passing, remember to stand back and give way. Always follow the Countryside Code. Know where you can and can’t walk, and be considerate to others.
Avoid touching gates and path furniture where possible. If you do, wash your hands as soon as possible. We recommend carrying alcohol-based hand sanitiser. You might want to wear gloves too. Do not share food and drink, or equipment such as walking poles. We recommend carrying a face covering.
We’re avoiding pub stops during walks for the time being. If you plan to spend time together socially after the walk, remember to follow the latest government guidelines on social contact and physical distancing.
If you need help with walk leading or risk assessment for Berkshire Walkers, get in touch with us or see the Ramblers walk leader toolkit.
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If you feel you are suffering from the Lockdown and need someone to speak to, below we have listed a variety of charities/organisations that you can speak to…
Samaritans
Telephone: 116 123 (24 hours a day, free to call)
Email:
Website: https://www.samaritans.org
Provides confidential, non-judgemental emotional support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those that could lead to suicide. You can phone, email, write a letter or in most cases talk to someone face to face.
Mind Infoline
Telephone: 0300 123 3393 (9am-6pm Monday to Friday) or text 86463
Email:
Website: www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines
Mind provides confidential mental health information services.
With support and understanding, Mind enables people to make informed choices. The Infoline gives information on types of mental health problems, where to get help, drug treatments, alternative therapies and advocacy. Mind works in partnership with around 140 local Minds providing local mental health services.
Rethink Mental Illness Advice Line
Telephone: 0300 5000 927 (9.30am – 4pm Monday to Friday)
Email:
Website: http://www.rethink.org/about-us/our-mental-health-advice
Provides expert advice and information to people with mental health problems and those who care for them, as well as giving help to health professionals, employers and staff. Rethink also runs Rethink services and groups across England.
Saneline
Telephone: 0300 304 7000 (4:30pm-10:30pm)
Website: www.sane.org.uk/what_we_do/support/helpline
Saneline is a national mental health helpline providing information and support to people with mental health problems and those who support them.
The Mix
Telephone: 0808 808 4994 (11am-11pm, free to call)
Email: Helpline email form
Crisis Support: Text ‘THEMIX’ to 85258.
Website: www.themix.org.uk/get-support
The Mix provides judgement-free information and support to young people aged 13-25 on a range of issues including mental health problems. Young people can access the The Mix’s support via phone, email, webchat, peer to peer and counselling services.
ChildLine
Telephone: 0800 1111
Website: www.childline.org.uk
ChildLine is a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of nineteen. You can contact a ChildLine counsellor for free about anything – no problem is too big or too small.
Elefriends
Website: http://elefriends.org.uk/
Elefriends is a supportive online community where you can be yourself. Elefriends is run by Mind.
If you’re a carer needing support you can contact all of the above as well as Carers Direct and the Carers Trust, both of whom are able to provide support and advice on any issues affecting you.
SHOUT
Shout is the UK’s first 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. It’s a place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help.
Text: 85258
Website: https://www.giveusashout.org/
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Hello everyone,
It is with regret that I am writing to inform you that due to the situation with Covid-19, and the most recent government advice, all Ramblers events are now cancelled. This is applicable from Wednesday 18th March until at least the 30th June and this has been mandated by Ramblers GB.
Unfortunately, this means that the Easter trip to the Peak District will have to be cancelled, along with all planned walks and socials. At present, the trip to Scotland is also at serious risk of cancellation due to the timing, but a decision about this will be made in the coming weeks when more information is available. For those of you who have already paid for upcoming events, further information will be sent with regards to refunds where possible. Please bear with us as we work out the details in each case. Please can I make it clear that our Berkshire Walkers social spaces such as Facebook and MeetUp should not be used to organise any informal gatherings of people that go against the government and Ramblers GB guidelines. We have a responsibility to abide by these as a group and as individuals.
I realise that this is a really challenging time for us all, and that it will be difficult in the coming months to limit our activity both within the group and more widely. My advice is to think about what you can do to maintain social contact through alternative routes such as Skype, so that you don’t become completely isolated. We will try to maintain our weekly email throughout this period to keep up some contact, even though we can’t provide you with a weekly walk and social itinerary. My thanks go to all of you who had planned trips, walks and socials in the coming weeks, and who understandably will be disappointed by this news. Your inputs are valued and appreciated, and I hope that some of these events at least can be rearranged for later in the year.
If you want to keep up your walking fitness, independent walking is still encouraged for health and wellbeing, unless you have symptoms or are especially vulnerable, and provided you maintain an appropriate distance from anyone else.
If you need further advice or support, please don’t hesitate to contact me on the following email address:
Please find a link here to the advice given by Ramblers GB: https://www.ramblers.org.uk/coronavirus
Claire
(Chair)
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Have you ever wondered what exactly it is that the BW committee does? Well you need wonder no longer. This (and subsequent) blogs will give you an idea of what goes on in committee meetings and behind the scenes for those of you who are interested.
The first thing to say, is that the committee is made up of individuals who are passionate about walking, socials and their respective roles, which makes my job as chair so much easier! The committee are committed to delivering a fantastic programme of events for the Berkshire Walkers and that includes both walks and socials.
Sam is our walk coordinator, and she takes all the information submitted via the walks webpage and populates the walk finder and our BW calendar with this information. Sarah then also gets a copy of this information for those who want to advertise on Meetup and makes sure that it is posted there.
Daisy is responsible for our social calendar. She has put on a fantastic variety of social events over the last couple of years including meals, drinks, escape rooms, climbing the O2 and the latest idea of a BW exclusive London Eye Pod! Both Daisy and Sam can’t do this alone however, and they need support from all of us within the BWs (both on the committee and not!) to lead walks and organise socials. If you have an idea, please do get in touch!
Zak works behind the scenes with all the membership stats. He is the one that you are likely to find taking a register on walks (along with Sam and Jason), and analysing the data to see how many people have walked, and over what distance in the last few months! He also manages the membership database and keeps us updated on how many members we have and what age bracket they fit into! He also responds to enquires via the website from potential new members. Although as a committee we take it in turn to write the weekly emails, it is Zak who takes this information, formats it all and makes sure that it arrives in your inbox on time!
Jason does some excellent work with publicity, and it seems that he is well known at a national level, which is excellent. The things that we do get publicised far and wide, and we are often asked to be involved in publicity events such as the recent photo shoot for the ‘Finding Your Way’ campaign launch. Jason and Zak are also both on the area committee, and Sam is our rep at Area. All three of them are off to the General Council in a few months time to represent Berkshire and the wider area.
Jack is our treasurer. He keeps us honest with all things financial and makes sure that we are in a position to meet our regular financial outgoings. He also facilitates the payment for trips – we often use the BW account to collect payments from members and then use this to pay for accommodation when we go away.
Cherry is our ordinary member. This means that she doesn’t have a specific remit, but is free to help out wherever she see’s fit. Most recently she has been taking the minutes for the committee meetings and writing a blog on footwear! Just as an aside, we would normally also have someone who fills the role of secretary but this post is currently empty. If you are interested, please do get in touch.
Last but not least, that leaves me, your chair. It is my job to encourage all of the others on the committee and help them to make their fantastic ideas a reality! I also have a passion for looking for equipping people, and am shortly to start leading some walk leader training sessions. I am looking into how we can enable those that would like to, to attend mountain leader training so that we are better placed to lead holidays in the fantastic mountainous regions in the UK. I also am keen to facilitate communication between the committee and everyone else in the group, and hence this blog! I plan to do something similar every 2-3 months to update you with what goes on behind the scenes. If you want to find out more, our committee meetings are always open and advertised in the calendar, so do feel free to come along and join us!
Just before I sign off, I want to remind you, that this year is the 20th year of the BW’s and we plan to celebrate! At the moment we have a clothing order open, with the opportunity to buy items branded with the BW 2020 logo. Do make sure that you send any orders in by the 29th February to Daisy. We will also have a weekend in the summer to celebrate our 20th birthday! Our calendar is packed this year with events so do check out the various trips on offer as well as the regular walks and socials.
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Lots of people try walking as a new year’s resolution, at the coldest, wettest and darkest time of year! Berkshire Walkers are still out every weekend exploring the countryside around us. Trainers may be fine in summer, but if you wear trainers in winter, they will get muddy and your feet will get wet! Especially if we come across a flooded path.
When there are lots of puddles, wellies with thick/multiple socks and insoles might be ok for a short walk. But walking boots are much more comfortable for a longer walk. Choose a waterproof pair made of treated material like Gore-Tex or leather. Boots come up higher than trainers, making it less likely you’ll get wet, muddy ankles and feet. They also support your ankles and the soles give you good grip, which is nice to have on slippery, uneven ground and hills.
Cheap boots are fine if you’re not sure if walking is for you or you’re on a budget. You can always upgrade later. If you are able to spend more, you might want to look for a long-lasting or lightweight pair, but splashing out is not necessarily worth it for walking around Berkshire. How they fit and being waterproof are the most important things.
So below is a run-down of outdoor/activity stores in and around Berkshire, with some boots well under £30. Going to a shop means you can try on a few pairs, with a choice of widths, shapes, insoles to suit different arches etc. If you’re going to be wearing them for 6+ miles they’d better fit well from the start. Wear walking socks when trying on boots to help you get the right size.
Once you have a pair of boots, it’s a good idea to wear them in around the house or on a short walk before embarking on a 10-mile hike. And wear walking socks to reduce the risk of damp feet and blisters – the right socks can really make a difference.
Remember that your Ramblers membership card gets you 15% off at Cotswold Outdoor, and possibly discounts elsewhere. At Go Outdoors you can buy a discount card for £5. Also look out for student discounts, and search Google or similar for discount codes and cashback.
Go Outdoors
Reading
Sports Direct
Newbury, Reading, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Slough
Blacks / Millets
Newbury, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell
Mountain Warehouse
Newbury, Wokingham, Bracknell, Henley, Marlow, Taplow
Trespass
Newbury, Reading, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Windsor
Decathlon
Reading, Slough
Cotswold Outdoor *Ramblers get 15% off full-price items (Ts & Cs apply)*
Reading, Windsor
You can find more information on choosing walking boots and footwear care on the Ramblers website. And check out our walking equipment tips for what to wear and bring on a walk.
Written by Cherry (Ordinary Member)
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We hosted our ‘Staycation’ (part of the Ramblers – ‘Festival of Winter Walks’) again this year between 21st December 2019 and 5th January 2020. We had 12 walks and 2 socials during this period.
With walks covering the whole of the Berkshire County! This year’s event was again very popular with 189 Ramblers attending. Our New Year’s Day walk had 32 attendees – people all wanting to waste no time starting their New Year’s resolutions! We covered a total of 1,314.5 miles across these walks!
All walks started from a train station, making all walks easily accessible for people who don’t drive. Having our walks starting from a station also helps to reduce our carbon footprint with less people driving – doing our bit to reduce carbon emissions.
It was great to see so many new faces during this time. We welcomed people from neighbouring groups as well as people from all over the country!
We have created a short video of our recent Staycation for you to enjoy!
Hope to see you all on a walk again soon!
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