16 April 2015
Information for Walk Leaders
1. Publication of Walk Details.
The new Website has been in use for over 5 months now and has received many favourable comments. The Committee has reviewed the way it is working and being used for the posting of walks and asks Walk Leaders to consider these points:
As we no longer produce a 6 month printed programme for any group of walks, the “Full Programme” is now our major ‘Shop Window’ for engendering public interest and attracting new members.
It will help to achieve this if we can display there a large selection of walks showing great variety in area terrain, distance and start points.
Therefore, we are urging leaders where feasible to post the details of their walks on the “Notice Board” just as soon as possible.
A potential new member, and indeed some of our existing members, may find this more compelling than a list of walks blandly advising, “Details will be available a few days before the walk.” So we are asking leaders to adopt the following objective for posting their walks via the Notice Board:
The Ideal – as soon as possible.
The Target – 14 days before the walk.
The minimum – 7 days before the walk.
2. Advice and Guidance to Walk Leaders from The Ramblers Association.
The RA central office website carries lots of information, advice and guidance for walk leaders. We encourage all leaders to review these resources and glean information which they may not have considered before but which they may find helpful. This advice and guidance can be found on the “Volunteer Zone” in the “Support & Development” section. There you will see a number of ‘Toolkits’ covering all aspects of preparing and leading walks. Particularly relevant are the ‘Walk Leader good practice toolkit’ and the ‘Walk Leader’s Check list’.
In the ‘Walk Leader’s checklist’ you may find the following three points particularly noteworthy:
• “Frequently check that you can see your backmarker or have communication with them. Allow for re-grouping as required.”
A whistle, at the ready, is an essential means of communication for both leader and backmarker to summon each other’s attention.
The Backmarker marks the back of the walk in the same way as the Leader marks the front. Advise all walkers that they should maintain position between these two points. Explain that the Backmarker’s role is not to be the ‘sheep dog’ herding the wayward strays but rather maintaining position relative to the Leader, taking note of those who inform him/her that they are stopping for a comfort break, to take a picture etc and then, aware of their delay, ensuring that they rejoin the body of the walk and summoning the Leader’s attention when the Group becomes too dispersed.
• “Set a pace to suit the fitness and capabilities of the party and advertised grade of walk.”
Bear in mind the possible varied composition of your group with, perhaps, fairly new members seeking to establish their confidence in what may be for them a walk of some challenge.
• “Highlight your expectations of walkers and any places where particular care is needed.”
This is your walk and you should set the standards and practice you are comfortable with and deem necessary.
3. Contacting the 999 Emergency Services by SMS text from your mobile phone.
Attached is a leaflet explaining this service which some leaders may wish to consider. In some situations, in more remote areas, voice calls may not be possible but a text will still function even if subject to some delay. However, as you will see, the service requires pre-registration and that may not appeal to some members.
Please read the SMS service leaflet as an aid to contacting Emergency Services which is contained in a separate file on the website.