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Without our thousands of dedicated volunteers we simply wouldn’t be able to fulfil our mission on the ground. It’s important that as Britain’s walking charity we protect and expand where people love to walk as well as well as introducing more people to the joy of walking and volunteers are at the very heart of our work.
Wherever you are in the UK you can take part in one of the hundreds of Ramblers group led walks that take place each week. These walks are planned and run by local teams of volunteers who make sure there is always a range of walks to suit people with different abilities and interests. Thanks to our dedicated volunteer walk leaders you can join a short afternoon stroll around a city or a day’s walking in Snowdonia and everything in between.
Our volunteers also work to ensure that the places you love to walk are open for you to use and enjoy. Whether they are lobbying local councils to make sure a path is open for the community, going to a public inquiry or going out and fixing problems on paths the end goal is to make sure everyone is able to get out and walk.
In Sussex our volunteers worked with Sussex County Council to improve access to the historic 1066 path. The volunteers have also made sure that stiles on the path are replaced with gates making this historic path accessible to more people.
Our volunteers also make sure that local councils undertake their duties. Volunteers in Staffordshire took action when the local council refused to clear an urban path that formed a vital link for the local community. After lobbying the councillors and considering legal action the local council agreed to clear the path.
Our large network of volunteers also helps local councils to ensure paths are kept open. We currently have over 95 path maintenance teams working across the UK who go out and undertake a number of tasks from clearing overgrown paths to building bridges, boardwalks and the many other path features which are so vital for walkers.
In Anglesey between January and September 2012, volunteers gave 2181 hours of their time over a period of 43 days to carry out path maintenance. In this time they were able to clear over 3km of path, replace 12 gates and install 217 metres of boardwalk, not to mention the waymark posts and fencing that were also installed.
Our volunteers are crucial to making sure we can have such a huge impact on getting people out walking as well as making sure the places we love to go are accessible for all and we think it’s important to recognise this publically. You can find out more about the amazing work our volunteers do and read their stories by browsing our volunteer profiles.
Find out more about ways to volunteer with us.