Supporting Bedfordshire Area Initiatives 

Ivel Valley Walkers don't just walk. They support the activities of the Area and local groups in Bedfordshire.  

These include supporting the Area path maintenance team and Area training provisions at various locations. 

Providing walks of interest and publicity to the annual Bedfordshire Walking Festival & Greensand Country Festival. 

Providing and distributing Ramblers local group literature and programmes at the biennial Bedford River Festival. 

Supporting any local group activity or initiative requiring our membership.  

And we support any national Ramblers initiative like Don't Lose Your Way and Pathwatch. 

RIPPLE (Repair & Improving Public Paths for Leisure & Enjoyment) 

Path maintenance has become a big activity in Ivel Valley and in association with the local authorities of Bedford Borough and Central Beds, an activity that is both rewarding and appreciated by local communities.  

Ivel Valley members bring along most of the hand tools and the councils provide the waymark posts and machinery for larger clearances, which our team is qualified to use having passed the authority’s Power Tool safety training courses. We welcome anyone from the Bedfordshire area interested in doing such work and a member of the Ramblers to come along.   

Annual festivals

There are a number of local festivals in Bedfordshire where the Ivel Valley walk leaders provide walks of interest and publicity to their walk programmes. This is a bigger task than it appears since the advertising and distribution of their leaflets and programmes by the group needs to be done, along with the recce and leadership of the walk. 

Social events 

In Ivel Valley Walkers we like to add to our extensive programme of walks with some social events and activities that make the group lean slightly towards being a social club as well as being a full-on walking club.  

You can expect to see a Christmas lunch, a barbecue, a barn dance, a day on the river or an evening out somewhere on the programme. Not to mention the all-day walks in London, to other cities or coach trips to places of interest and walking holidays involving several days of walks in places that are highly attractive, fabulous and further afield.