Volunteers' Top Tips: Putting on a varied walks programme

Groups with varied walks programmes are generally more successful in recruiting and retaining more members. A discussion at General Council looked at the best ways this could be done. Give your own feedback at the bottom of this page.

This was an energetic and creative discussion group which overall was supported by about 50 participants including from 20s-30s Groups, Areas experimenting with alternative programmes, and the Merseyside Area Coach Rambles project.

There was some surprise among participants about the range of different ways of working. However there was also a good deal of consensus, particularly on the need to attract new members by running shorter and more varied walks. Those who had been involved in running shorter walks reported these were the most popular of the walks offered, and were capable of attracting a different audience to that of the regular Ramblers walks. “We have two Groups that are successful and growing,” said one participant, “and they’re the ones with the more varied programmes. The rest are static or declining.” “Everyone goes on our short walks,” said another. Variety was important not only in length but in pace and also environment, with some groups having popular programmes of short urban/town walks.

The overwhelming barrier to running more walks such as this was the unwillingness of existing leaders to provide them. “People who like leading walks tend to be the ones who like long walks,” said one.

Notable differences emerged in different Groups’ interpretation of the role of Programme Coordinator. In some Groups, coordinators act mainly as a clearing house, allocating walks offered by leaders to particular slots in the programme. In others they and their committees take a more proactive role in encouraging leaders to do specific kinds of walks in order to achieve both geographical coverage and variety. Running / participating in walking festivals and events like Get Walking Day can provide a “way in” for shaping the walks offered by leaders more deliberately.

Several successful shorter walks programmes depended on individual leaders with a particular interest, and on recruiting new leaders, but this is a struggle. Training was suggested by several as an important tool in securing new leaders. Some Areas / Groups run their own training days, for example Chiltern 20s-30s, using their own ad hoc materials, and numerous groups employ informal mentoring / buddying. Ongoing support for leaders and bringing them into the loop was also mentioned, through regular social events and good communication (for example leader newsletters), as otherwise there’s a tendency to leave them to get on with running their own walks with little contact with other leaders or Area/Group volunteers.

One Group had subsidised would-be leaders to attend MLTE-accredited Walking Group Leader training on Dartmoor.

Mainly leaders are left to devise their own routes but some Groups have libraries of routes that other leaders can use.

Groups generally attempt to recruit leaders from existing walkers, some treating it almost as a duty: “Everyone who walks regularly is expected to lead.” But others accept many of those willing to attend a led walk will never be willing to lead. No-one appeared to have explored external sources of volunteers.

Success in establishing a dynamic walks programme can sometimes be down to one or two active and inspirational individuals. One volunteer recounted how a single individual had revitalised a moribund Group.
The discussion covered promoting the walks programme, with some delegates from Areas that produce consolidated programmes advocating this practice as a way of more fully reflecting the variety of walks available locally. By pooling resources more professional results could be achieved, making the presentation more appealing.

There was some discussion on the balance between promoting walking and keeping walks as a membership benefit. Some participants were surprised to hear about the Merseyside Coach Rambles and other public walks programmes. The coach rambles organiser said many of the regulars do indeed go on to join the Ramblers, though many don’t, but others admitted that non-members regularly attend their regular walks. There was a feeling from some that a members-only policy would help maintain a “core group” of walkers that aided sustainability of the Group.

Some contributors regarded shorter walks as a temporary stage to help access the longer walks rather than an end in themselves. A volunteer from a Group that had participated in the Ramblers Cymru Cerrig Camu programme was disappointed that most participants “just enjoyed a stroll” and didn’t want to “graduate” to more challenging Ramblers walks. “We didn’t get a single member,” he said. But others said there was no real problem if people didn’t move on so long as leaders were available to sustain the programmes.

There was some discussion of the possibilities for introducing specialised programmes within a single Group or within an Area. One contributor showed a programme which brands particular kinds of walks from across all the Groups in strands, including some more challenging upland walks. Programmes for walkers aged 40+ run by a Hike Group may avoid the need to set up a separate Group for those who are now “too old”.

Many Groups are very informal in monitoring the success of their walks. There was a lively discussion about the use of registers and leaders reporting back from walks – some found these requirements onerous but those already implementing them said they were much less time and trouble than imagined especially considering the usefulness of the information they can yield.

Ideas to share

• Make sure you communicate well with walk leaders, giving them opportunities to get involved in the wider programme compilation process and to share ideas and experiences with each other and with other volunteers.
• Running regular and well-promoted shorter, easier walks is a tried and tested way of bringing in more new people and potential members – but be prepared that many of them will be happy to stick with the shorter walks and won’t necessarily want to “graduate” to longer ones.
• Think about variety in the walking environment too – include urban walks and themed walks (heritage, nature etc).
• Help planning by reading Led Walks the Way Ahead. See here.
• Think about recruiting volunteers specifically as walk leaders, perhaps even from external sources – accept that not all regular walkers will want to lead.
• New walk leaders need and expect support and confidence. Consider training courses, support materials and mentoring. Keep an eye on www.ramblers.org.uk/volunteer for support materials.
• Think proactively about guiding your leaders and shaping your walks programme – you will need to be diplomatic, but don’t just leave it to the leaders to decide which walks take place.
• Area programmes are a good way of demonstrating the variety of walks available locally and pooling resources means the results can look much more appealing than a single Group could manage.
• Use the Group Walks Finder to promote your walks – most new members first hear about walks online. See our Group Walks Finder support pages to get started.
• Carry out some simple monitoring to try to judge the relative success of different walks and the factors influencing it.
• The social element of walking attracts many people so exploit it. Include a meal break or end a shorter walk at a café, pub or site of interest.
• Think about including distinctive “sub programmes” if you can, perhaps of shorter walks, ones with particular themes or ones aimed at particular groups of people.

Tips from other readers (to add your own, click the link at the bottom of the page)