14 October 2024 

A new ‘Getting Started Toolkit’ is being developed by the Ramblers thanks to generous support from Ramble Worldwide Outdoor Trust and Ramble Worldwide.

The toolkit aims to support people from communities that are under-represented in the outdoors, to gain skills to lead safe and enjoyable group walks. 

 

Breaking down barriers 

As Britain’s walking charity The Ramblers ambition is to break down barriers to ensure everyone, everywhere can feel safe and welcome to enjoy all the benefits of walking in the outdoors.  Ramble Worldwide Outdoor Trust shares our ambition to make the outdoors more accessible for more people from all communities. 

The project will support communities that experience barriers to walking outdoors such as people from Global Majority backgrounds, people from less well-off backgrounds, and people with sensory and learning disabilities.  The toolkit will draw on The Ramblers best walk leadership practices and will be co-designed with representatives of these groups, ensuring it is tailored to their needs. The Ramblers walk leaders will support the toolkit’s development with expert knowledge and advice. 

Michael Duxbury, Trustee, Ramble Worldwide Outdoor Trust says “We are delighted, on behalf of Ramble Worldwide, to support this innovative project which we hope will give more people the confidence to explore and enjoy the outdoors. We look forward to seeing the progress of groups and individuals who benefit from the toolkit in the future”. 

 

More than just a toolkit 

Using the toolkit, experts at The Ramblers will initially train 30 individuals to plan and lead safe and enjoyable walks. Participants will also have the opportunity to be mentored by experienced local Ramblers walk leaders who will answer questions, share knowledge, and help build confidence and knowledge.  Once complete, the toolkit will be freely available on The Ramblers website for anyone who is interested in leading walks to access. 

Katie Phillips, Programme Lead at The Ramblers summarises the project: “With thanks to the support of Ramble Worldwide Outdoor Trust, this project will help us understand how we can provide training to help people from under-represented communities feel confident walking outdoors and leading walks. We are excited by the opportunities the toolkit will provide over the coming years to help many more people feel confident leading walks.  In turn, so many more people joining the walks will feel all the health and wellbeing benefits of walking in good company.”