Learn skills and meet young walkers

If you’re aged 18-26, the Ramblers’ Out There Award will kick-start your journey into the outdoors while helping you meet other young walkers and learn skills. The Out There Award has been co-designed by participants to be fun, free and inclusive.

Whether you’re interested in getting the skills you need to start exploring, making some new mates or simply improving your health through gentler walks, this free two-day Out There Award is for everyone, regardless of your background, experience, location or budget.

Day one offers basic training in outdoor skills, where you’ll get to discover a new local walk. Then on day two you will enjoy a group exploring walk. Both days are led by qualified staff, who will bring the learning to life.

Everyone who completes the Out There Award gets: 

• A year of Ramblers membership worth £41
• A Ramblers starter pack, crammed full of navigation and safety essentials
• A signed certificate

When you’ve completed the Out There Award, we’ll help you meet our friendly local Young Walkers’ groups, using your free Ramblers membership. 

Day one: Skills day

In a friendly and welcoming environment, we’ll cover the basic skills needed to begin to enjoy great days outdoors, safely. If you’ve never touched a map before or are wanting to sharpen your skills then Out There Award is the place for you.

Our syllabus includes: 

• How to be a self-sufficient walker 
• How to safely plan a walk 
• Your rights of way and access 
• Outdoor equipment and clothing 
• What food and drink to carry 
• Core introductory navigation skills for using maps
• Intro compass skills 
• Staying safe when you're out and about

We offer free participant packs and use venues near residential areas and public transport, so you can attend without owning a car or specialist outdoor gear.

Day two: Exploring day 

Day two is all about putting your new skills into practice while exploring an amazing local walk. 

We’ll continue to introduce new skills, so that at the end of the two days you’ll have a broad understanding of how to plan awesome walks and navigate around them. You’ll have the free equipment you need to carry on practising these skills after the Out There Award. 

Most importantly, we want you to feel confident and inspired to continue your journey out there. 

The Out There Award is made possible in Scotland thanks to support from Active Scotland and Smarter Choices, Smarter Places and in England by Sports England.

Out There Award Plus & Ambassadors in Scotland

In Scotland, we run the Out There Award Plus, which involves two days of volunteering and a night's introduction to camping. If you’ve not got a tent, don’t worry! We’ve all the kit you need to get involved. You could even apply to the Ambassador Scheme, a free year-long training programme designed to give you chances to work towards outdoor qualifications and to inspire the next generation of walkers.