About us
The charity working for walkers
We are Britain's biggest walking charity.
We've been working for over 70 years to promote walking and to improve conditions for everyone who walks in England, Scotland and Wales.
We are currently working on a five-year
strategy for the Ramblers' Association and would like to
hear your views on our aims, priorities, campaigns and
membership.
Promoting walking
Walking hit the headlines last year when new transport figures showed that trips on foot in Britain had declined by 16% over ten years.
Meanwhile obesity and low levels of physical activity cost the NHS over £8billion a year.
Getting Britain back on its feet
We want to see the decline in walking slowed, halted and ultimately reversed over the next couple of decades.
To help achieve this, we’ve been looking at ways to encourage people to take more regular, local walking trips, including in urban areas where most of us live.
We want to reach everyone who will benefit, including black and minority ethnic groups, young people and people in deprived inner-city areas who are often not attracted to traditional walking initiatives.
Footpaths in England and Wales
The public rights of way network is the single most important way of gaining access to the countryside. It is a precious resource and is protected by an array of laws.
The latest Audit Commission figures show only 67% paths in England are easy to use – down 3% on the previous year.
We work to improve this situation through practical work, campaigning, path surveys and reporting of problems.
Successful legal challenges
Across the country, we are involved in extensive casework to protect, extend and improve the path network: appearing at public inquiries, defending against diversions and closures, and serving legal notice on highway authorities to ensure paths are kept open and maintained.
Last year there were many successful cases for the Ramblers, including
- restoration of the Chimney Steps path on the Isle of Wight
- saving a bridleway at South Tawton on Dartmoor.
- re-opening the seafront path that runs under Southend-on-Sea’s pier
Campaigns that involve more walkers
The Use Your Paths Challenge aims to get all recorded rights of
way in England and Wales walked and all problems reported by
September 2007.
www.useyourpaths.info
The Footpath Guardian project – a flexible scheme encouraging walkers to report footpath problems to their local authority.
Ongoing fight for better paths
Our ‘bread and butter’ work remains targeted campaigns to improve the condition of rights of way.
Across England and Wales, local volunteers are working hard to to get councils to meet their legal obligations, calling for investment in rights of way, and for stronger policies to protect and secure an open and usable path network.
Freedom to Roam in England and Wales
This year sees the 75th anniversary of the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass when six walkers were imprisoned following scuffles with gamekeepers, prompting the Ramblers Association’s formation three years later.
We’ve been campaigning hard for a public right of access to the countryside ever since.
The right to roam became a reality at the end of 2005 with the implementation of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000 .
We’re pleased to report that there have been very few conflicts or problems - unlike in 1932!
Walkers have been enjoying their new right of access to open countryside across England and Wales throughout 2006.
We are working hard though to ensure that the new access arrangements work well in practice and can be enjoyed by the public.
Targeting coastal access
94% of those surveyed believe the public should have a legal right to walk in England and Wales’ coastal areas – including beaches, foreshore, cliffs, estuaries and sea banks.
Contrary to popular belief, no such right currently exists.
Countryside Protection
Threats to the countryside come in many forms. Inappropriate development or land management and, increasingly, climate change all have the potential to damage our unique landscape beyond repair. The Ramblers’ Association monitors these developments, and takes action to protect and enhance our countryside.
Ramblers Scotland
Ramblers Scotland is the representative body for walkers in Scotland
Its overall aim is to encourage walking and public understanding of the outdoors by