How long will my membership pack take to arrive?
Our Membership Administration team is constantly processing membership applications which come in from a variety of sources. We therefore normally quote between seven and ten working days between the date that your membership application is received by us and the date that you receive your new member pack in the post. Membership applications submitted via the website are processed once per week.
When will my membership start?
Your membership will start from the day on which it is processed at the Ramblers office. If you are joining by Direct Debit, you get a free month of membership; this is offered at the beginning of your membership, so for example, if your form is processed in July 2007, your free month is July 2007 and your membership will be up for renewal in August 2008. Your first annual membership subscription will then come out of your account in the following calendar month (i.e. August 2007); we will confirm the date and amount to be debited in your new member pack.
Can I buy membership as a gift?
It is possible to purchase membership of the Ramblers’ Association for someone other than yourself. Many people choose to do this as a present for a friend or family member who loves walking and is celebrating a certain occasion (e.g. birthday, Christmas or retirement). Simply ensure your details are correctly quoted as the purchaser and the person you are buying the gift for is quoted as the recipient. You can specify if you wish the gift to be delivered to you or to them at the time of joining.
If I join the RA, can I walk with any group?
Yes – when you join, you become a member of the Ramblers’ Association, the charity working for walkers across England, Scotland and Wales, not just a member of a specific local group. In the first instance, you are assigned to a local group on the basis of your postcode, unless you indicate otherwise. Because the work and walks of the 480 groups throughout the UK are run by volunteers, there will undoubtedly be variations in what each has to offer. Groups are encouraged to cover a range of lengths, terrain and theme in their walks programmes, but it is understandable that they often focus on what they are good or experienced at. The best advice is to try out all the local groups that you can reasonably access to find the best one for you and then, if you would like, change the group that you are linked to by contacting us.
Are there any groups for people with young children?
There are a small amount of groups that cater for families, but we hope to encourage more and to continue to advise on and promote family walking through our information provision. We believe walking has a vital part to play in the fight against both adult and childhood obesity and are keen to build this into our future plans. We are currently researching the most effective and useful ways of going about this and are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help create a network of family groups.
How does the map library service work?
The Ramblers main office holds the complete range of Ordnance Survey Explorer 1:25 000 and Landranger 1:50 000 maps. These are available for loan to members only for a small fee (weatherproof: £1 and paper: 50p per map at November 2005), plus post and package. These rates cover a hire period of four weeks from the date of issue and a maximum of ten maps may be borrowed at any one time.
