Photo: Richard Mann
Undertaking and commissioning research, lobbying, responding to consultations and developing policies and strategies to help influence decision makers are a key part of the Ramblers' promoting walking work. This page collects together links to several documents of interest, published not only by the Ramblers but by some other organisations. Please note that the inclusion of a non-Ramblers document here does not necessarily mean it is endorsed by the Ramblers' Association.
The Ramblers' promoting walking strategy
Since May 2005 we have had a clear strategy for developing our promoting walking work, endorsed by our Board of Trustees. It includes a 20-year vision for our promoting walking work aimed at slowing and reversing the decline in walking, as well as more detailed short- and medium-term objectives.
Walking plans and strategies
The Ramblers' Association has contributed to a number of plans and strategies aimed at increasing the amount of walking, published in recent years by both campaigning organisations and national, regional and local governments. Some local authorities have published walking or walking and cycling plans and strategies and these are most likely available on their websites, usually under Transport, Streets or Sustainable Transport.
- National walking action plan 2004 (PDF 378kB, external link)
A lobbying document commissioned by Guide Dogs for the Blind and prepared by a committee of experts including the Ramblers' Association, Living Streets and Transport 2000. - Walking and Cycling: An action plan (External link)
Adopted by the Department for Transport for England in 2004 after consultation with a range of organisations including the Ramblers. While the plan does not go as far as we would like, it is a big step forward in government support for promoting everyday walking. More recent progress updates on the actions in the plan are included on the above site. - The Walking Plan for London final version (External link)
The Walking Plan for London Ramblers consultation response (PDF 108kB)
Produced with significant input from the Ramblers and launched in 2004, this plan prepared for the Mayor of London and implemented by Transport for London is so far the most comprehensive and progressive of the major walking plans in Britain. - Walking in Towns and Cities: Ramblers evidence (PDF 58kB)
An enquiry conducted by the House of Commons Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee in 2001. You can also view the full report and the Government's response online by following the links from the committee's publications index page (external link). - Walking and Cycling Strategy for Wales (External link)
Published in 2003 after consultations with organisations including the Ramblers, this was the first of the recent major planning documents for walking. - A Walking Strategy for Scotland: Consultation document (External link)
A Walking Strategy for Scotland: Ramblers Scotland remarks
Transport and access in Scotland Ramblers Scotland Community Links proposals to the Transport Minister (2005)
The consultation on the proposed Scottish Executive walking strategy was conducted in 2003 but the finished document has so far not been published. Meanwhile we continue to lobby in Scotland around the role of walking and transport. See also Let's Make Scotland More Active under Health below.
Health
The promotion of walking as an everyday healthy activity, "the closest thing to perfect exercise", is an increasing focus of our work and we are working to encourage decision makers to allocate more resources to promoting walking for health.
- Choosing activity: original consultation (2004) and final physical activity action plan (2005) (External link)
Choosing health: Making healthy choices easier (The 2004 Health White Paper, external link)
Choosing Health? A response by the Ramblers' Association (PDF 127kB)
Choosing Health? Choosing Activity: a response by the Ramblers' Association (PDF 121kB)
The Choosing Health project led by the Department of Health in 2004 marked a shift in health policy in England with more emphasis on prevention and public health and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. The white paper and subsequent activity action plan, though welcome, did not go as far as we would have liked in advocating walking as healthy exercise. - National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Draft Physical Activity Intervention Public Health Guidance: Ramblers consultation response (2005, Word document 82kB)
Physical Activity Intervention published guidance (external link)
Programme Guidance in development: Physical Activity and Environment (external link)
Ramblers' response to the draft scope for Physical Activity and Environment guidance (2006, Word document, 51kB)
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) examined the evidence for various kinds of intervention to promote increased physical activity, including led walking schemes and pedometers, and to produce guidance for health practitioners. As registered stakeholders, the Ramblers' Association responded to a consultation on the researchers' report. We argued for better evaluation of such schemes and for an examination of the wider context in which the schemes take place. Partly in response to lobbying by ourselves and others, the call for better evaluation has been included in the finished guidance, and NICE is now developing further guidance on physical activity and environmental factors. - Let's make Scotland more active: a strategy for physical activity (External link)
This strategy, prepared by the Physical Activity Task Force for the Scottish Executive and NHS and published in 2003, is strong on both promoting physical activity and improving the environment to encourage activity. Ramblers Scotland is involved in implementing the strategy as a partner in the Paths to Health project. - Dringo'n Uwch - Climbing Higher: The Welsh Assembly Government Strategy for Sport and Physical Activity (External link)
This strategy aims to place sport and physical activity at the heart of Welsh life and government policy over the next twenty years, with an increase of 1% per year in the number of people taking at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. - Walking the way to Health Evaluations (External link)
The Walking the way to Health Initiative in England is Britain's biggest health walking project so far. This page includes a longitudinal evaluation of the first five years of the national project and the related Paths to Health project in Scotland, and a summary of over 50 evaluations of individual local schemes, both published in 2006. - SPARColl (External link) A major research project in Scotland to provide an evidence base relating to physical activity and health.
Active travel
- Sustainable Travel Demonstration Towns (External link)
We're currently working in two of these three English towns and cities funded by the Department for Transport to pilot packages of projects aimed at promoting sustainable travel including walking.
Social inclusion
- Promoting walking in high deprivation communities
Research conducted by Ipsos MORI for the Ramblers' Association in Birmingham in September 2006 refutes the belief that people in poor communities find walking unappealing. The qualitative research was based on focus groups of people from high deprivation communities who were recalled after two weeks of trying out walking and yielded a number of interesting results. - Diversity Review (External link)
Since 2002 the Countryside Agency and its successor Natural England have been investigating what can be done to support the participation in outdoor recreation of disabled people, black and minority ethnic people, people who live in inner city areas and young people. We have followed this work with interest and assisted where we could.
Leisure and utility walking
While the distinction often made between these two kinds of walking is useful to a point, we take the view that its usefulness is limited. Walking is a multi-purpose activity and the same trip can be for both leisure and transport purposes. And because walking is almost never the quickest and most convenient transport mode, it has to be promoted as the most attractive, appealing, healthy and enjoyable option for both transport and utility journeys.
- Linking business and pleasure (PDF 157kB, external link)
A paper by Emily Richmond and Des de Moor of the Ramblers' Association, presented to the Walk21 international walking conference, Portland, Oregon 2003.
Volunteer activities
Other resources
- Walking facts and figures
These pages on the Ramblers website make the case for walking through key facts and statistics, with a full list of sources. - BEN - Black Environment Network
BEN works to promote equality of opportunity with to respect to ethnic communities and the environment. The website has a wealth of documents and links relevant to this issue including information and research on ethnic communities' involvement in green spaces and the countryside. We are affiliated to BEN. - Living Streets
The website of this charity that champions streets and public spaces for people on foot has extensive policy briefings and guidance on best practice for practitioners. We are affiliated to Living Streets and work together with it in the Active Travel Consortium and other forums. - Paths for All
A partnership including Ramblers Scotland promoting a network of good paths close to where people live in Scotland. - Sustrans
This charity, a fellow member of the Active Travel Consortium, runs an active travel campaign working with policy makers and practitioners to promote walking and cycling as health-enhancing physical activity. The website offers much useful research and evidence. - Transport2000
The website of this sustainable transport charity includes good practice on promoting sustainable transport including walking and active travel, and information on the Streets for People campaign. We are affiliated to Transport2000. - Walking the way to Health/Paths to Health
The websites of these organisations promoting healthy walking in England, Scotland and Wales have extensive information about walking and health. - walk21
Good practice for walking professionals in Britain and the organisers of an annual international walking conference that was established with Ramblers support.
