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: chair@berkshirewalkers.co.uk
Please find a link here to the advice given by Ramblers GB: https://www.ramblers.org.uk/coronavirus
Claire
(Chair)