More towns sign up for "Walkers are Welcome" status
24 April 2008
The Ramblers’ Association welcomes the
spread of the ‘Walkers are Welcome’ idea , with three more towns
across Britain now admitted to the ranks of communities with the
‘Walkers are Welcome’ accolade. The first village will be
awarded the status shortly.
Church Stretton in the Shropshire Hills, Market Weighton in East
Yorkshire and Kilsyth, at the foot of Scotland’s Kilsyth Hills,
have just become Walkers are Welcome towns. They join the four
original Walkers are Welcome towns, west Yorkshire’s Hebden
Bridge, Prestatyn in north Wales, Moffat in Dumfries and
Galloway, and Mytholmroyd, also in west Yorkshire.
The small north Wales community of Pentrefoelas, east of
Betws-y-Coed, is also working for the status and expects to be
Britain’s first Walkers are Welcome village. It is currently
planning a launch event for June. Other communities actively
working to become Walkers are Welcome centres include Otley,
Ross-on-Wye, Bishop’s Castle, Penmaenmawr and Malvern.
“Walkers are Welcome towns and villages are places which have
something special to offer walkers,” explains Malcolm Wilkinson,
chair of the Walkers are Welcome Towns Network which oversees
the scheme. “Obtaining Walkers are Welcome status helps
strengthen a town's reputation as a place for visitors to come
to enjoy the outdoors, bringing benefits to the local economy.
It helps to ensure that footpaths and facilities for walkers are
maintained in good condition, benefiting local people as well as
visitors.”
The Walkers are Welcome status, supported by the Ramblers’
Association as a model scheme to promote walking, was first
developed last year in the Yorkshire Pennine community of Hebden
Bridge, where the six criteria which towns and villages are
required to meet were first developed. These include community
support for the idea, work to improve walkers’ facilities and
promotion where possible of walking using public transport.
“The Walkers are Welcome scheme is different from most top-down
accreditation schemes, in that it has emerged from, and is being
promoted by, communities themselves. This is very much a
bottom-up, community-led initiative, “ Malcolm Wilkinson adds.
Applications for Walkers are Welcome status are assessed on a
peer-accreditation basis by members of the existing Walkers are
Welcome Towns Network.
The Walkers are Welcome concept links directly to rural and
market town regeneration concerns, to the government’s walking
for health agenda, and to the promotion of green tourism. “It
also reminds walkers that Britain has beautiful countryside –
you don’t need to make for the tourism honeypots to find some
great walking country,” Malcolm Wilkinson says.
For more information, and details of local Walkers are Welcome
contacts: Malcolm Wilkinson, 01745-888137, or Andrew Bibby,
01422-844026.
Details of the Walkers are welcome concept, news and case
studies: see
www.walkersarewelcome.org.uk