Walking for Health divestment update
Especially relevant to: Area and Group volunteers in England concerned with led walks and promoting walking.
Posted: 12 October 2011
For information: The Ramblers continues to express an interest in hosting the ‘national centre’ of the Walking for Health project as the divestment process continues.
As reported in a previous volunteer news item, the government is divesting the assets of the ‘national centre’ of the Walking for Health project in England from its current home at Natural England to a non-government body. The divestment process is being managed by the Knowledge Into Action (KIA) consultancy and will involve a competitive tender for the assets. The Ramblers has formally expressed its interest in becoming the future host of Walking for Health.
The divestment process is progressing, but the original timetable has slipped and it is still unclear what level of funding will be available alongside the assets, and what will be expected of the successful applicant.
KIA has said the full invitation to tender will be published on 24 October, with a deadline of 24 November. The final decision is due in early March 2012 with the successful applicant taking over from the end of March. The Ramblers will only be able to decide on whether to proceed with its bid when all the details become clear. If we do proceed, it will be on the basis of a credible plan to develop Walking for Health in a way that is ultimately cost neutral to the organisation.
The process managed by KIA applies only to the national centre: health walks themselves are organised and funded locally, mainly by councils and health bodies. We are hearing of more and more instances of funding being cut for these schemes. Unlike the Ramblers, health walks volunteers tend only to lead walks while the organisation and administration is carried out by paid staff, so these cuts are presenting a major challenge to keeping schemes going.
With the help of a modest sum from the local council and the NHS, the Ramblers is currently working in Richmond upon Thames, London, with one such scheme that lost its council coordinator. We are working with the local volunteers and with Ramblers Surrey Area to try to find a way to sustain the scheme in the longer term, perhaps within the Ramblers umbrella, with more management tasks being taken on by health walk volunteers and with some local fundraising.
If the Ramblers does not pursue its interest in hosting the national centre or is unsuccessful in its bid, we will no doubt continue to take a close interest in and maintain a relationship with health walks.
We will continue to update volunteers as the situation develops. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, please send them to des.demoor@ramblers.org.uk.
