Not everyone wants to walk with a group at a scheduled time each week. Hundreds of Ramblers volunteers write walk descriptions for their local newspapers so that people can enjoy fantastic walks at their own leisure.
I write up walks for a local weekly newspaper column. These are either walks that Norfolk Area Ramblers provide or ones I have done and then written up. They vary in length from 4 to 10 miles long. The walk needs a map to accompany it, which I draw. I usually add information such as local history, wildlife and places for refreshment to make the walk more interesting and give it wider appeal. I send the walk and map off to the newspaper by email.
The time commitment varies, depending on whether I do the walk initially or someone else provides the walk. It could take up to 1½ days per week if I do the walk myself and then write it up. Whereas it would only be half a day if someone has provided me with a walk, and even less if they send me the information electronically.
Doing a task like this on a weekly basis is a regular commitment – the time management can be tricky if I’m going on holiday, but I generally manage by sending off a few walks in advance. I acquired a computer a few months before taking on this role and it has definitely improved my computer skills!
Fellow members of Wensum Group have been particularly helpful in providing walks and they often accompany me on my walks. Other Groups in Norfolk Area have given me walks too, but life would be easier if I were inundated with walks!
I enjoy walking and sharing a lovely walk with others. I know from the feedback I have received that the walk descriptions encourage others to walk. Having a route and a simple map to follow means that you can go out walking on your own, when you feel like it – which will suit those who walk for solitude or who can’t make the scheduled group walks. The column is also fantastic publicity for the Ramblers Association. I include a contact number for the Area Secretary in each column, in case readers wish to join the Ramblers and sometimes I am able to slip an advert into the column for future events.
